Crews continue to prepare for flood, while barricades in place in some locations

Published 8:04 pm Tuesday, February 26, 2019

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Workers with the City of Vicksburg fill sandbags in preparation of the rising floodwater in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP)

Houses on stilts on Ford Road are seen standing over flood water in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP)

Pittman Road is seen covered with flood water in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP)

Chickasaw Road is seen covered with flood water in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP)

Highway 465 in Warren and Issaquena County is seen closed on the south end due to the rising flood waters north of Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP)

A barge passes by on the Yazoo River as works with the City of Vicksburg erect the Levee and Grove street flood wall in preparation of the rising floodwater in Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.48 feet in Vicksburg according to the National Weather Service and is expected to crest at 51.4 feet on March 14th which is the highest crest since 2016 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP)

Local officials continue to monitor and make preparations for rising floodwaters projected to reach more than 51 feet by March 14, which is the highest crest since 2016. The Mississippi River is currently at 47.5 feet, according to the National Weather Service in Jackson.

Tuesday, city crews began the process of creating sandbags near Levee Street as a precaution for the flood, while also continuing the construction of the flood gates that will block off Levee Street and Grove Street.

In other areas, barricades have been put in place along Ford and Williams roads to prevent motorists from using the roadway, while areas like Chickasaw Road and Pittman Road are also covered in water.

Highway 465 in Warren and Issaquena County is closed on the south end due to the rising flood waters north of Vicksburg.

About Courtland Wells

Courtland Wells is a staff photographer at The Vicksburg Post. He is a native of Tuscaloosa, Ala. and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in Photojournalism. Following graduation, he started at The Vicksburg Post in the fall of 2016. Courtland has won numerous awards through the Mississippi Associated Press Managing Editors and the Mississippi Press Association. His work has also been featured in the New York Times and Washington Post as well as other national publications. Courtland is a member of the Vicksburg Young Professionals.

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