Mayor George Flaggs Jr. has declared a state of emergency for the city of Vicksburg in response to rising water levels on the Mississippi River, which are expected to reach 48 feet by the weekend. The flood stage in Vicksburg is 43 feet.

Flaggs said Monday the declaration comes after speaking with Warren County Emergency Management Director John Elfer. Flaggs said the city and county are continuing to monitor river conditions as updates and new forecasts are released.

Elfer said Tuesday that the water could exceed flood stage as early as Friday and cautioned residents to be aware of the portions of Warren County that are typically affected by rising waters.

“The biggest takeaway is, after the 2011 flood, we mitigated most of the houses that flooded,” Elfer said. “Either they got torn down, or they got elevated. So, we’re not so much worried about structures getting flooded, but we will have a bunch of roads closed, to include Highway 465 that runs from (Highway) 61 to Eagle Lake.”

Elfer said residents should refrain from driving over any roads that are under any amount of water.

“My big thing is, please do not drive around road-closed signs or barricades,” he said. “Not only is it illegal, it’s dangerous. And stay out of the flood water. Don’t swim in it; don’t drive in it. Stay out of the flood areas. And you’ll know where they’re at. It’s pretty common-sense.”

Elfer said other areas prone to flooding during events like what is expected this week and into the weekend include, but are not limited to, Williams Street, the Ford and Kings subdivisions, Jackson Lane, and Cedars Road.

Flaggs said he has also been in contact with Vicksburg Public Works Director Dane Lovell, who said a flood wall is being installed as a precautionary measure. Lovell said crews will be staging and assembling the wall in areas along the river that are historically prone to impact from flooding.

“I appreciate the timely updates from Mr. Elfer and the readiness and responsiveness of our Public Works Department,” Flaggs said. “We are taking the necessary steps to stay ahead of this situation and ensure the safety of our residents.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, city officials said the gate located on Clay Street had already been closed to traffic and the gate on China Street should be used to access the river. 

As it relates to local river industry, Golding Barge Line President and CEO Austin Golding said the high waters are a blessing and a curse for his operation.

“For us, it definitely makes northbound transit slower and it makes southbound transit more dangerous,” Golding said. “Going northbound is a much harder shove and southbound you really got to be careful with how much we load the boats up. And then really watch how we navigate bridges and critical points within the system. It’s definitely a more dangerous, swifter river to work within than it normally is.”

But Golding said long periods of low water bring a different set of problems for barges, which may be mitigated by the upcoming rise.

“Some of the good it does, though, is we’ll take some high water after dealing with low water for forever. It has its own set of challenges, so we get some high water and swift water, it may help kind of gouge the river out and give us a little bit of a headstart heading into the fall. It’s a natural way for it to all work out.”

Flaggs said the city will continue to monitor river levels and will provide updates over the course of the week. For more information, Flaggs may be reached directly at 601-942-0492.

This is a developing story. More information will be released as it becomes available.