Monday, May 2, 2011
2011 Flood To Exceed
2011 Flood To Exceed 1927
The late afternoon river stage forecast is especially sobering. Flood levels are now expected to exceed the levels in 1927 in some parts of Mississippi and Louisiana. At Vicksburg the river level will be 1.3 higher than 1927 and in Natchez the level will be 8.4 feet higher than 1927.
But the corps' Robert Simrall was quick to point out the Louisiana levee system is higher than in 1927.
"These levees are designed to contain this flood," Simrall said.
Still, even corps officials like Simrall were surprised by the new crest prediction.
"It would be more water than we've ever had," he said. "I've worked here more than 25 years and I never thought I'd see this."
Other flood officials like 5th Louisiana Levee District President Reynold Minsky were also shocked, but confident about the tall Louisiana levees.
"I'm stunned," said Minsky, whose district includes East Carroll, Madison, Tensas and Concordia parishes. "But I can tell you we're not going to lose this levee. We're going to keep doing what we're doing to protect people and property."
The river is forecast to crest at 64.5 feet on May 17 at Greenville, Miss., where flood stage is 48 feet, and at 65 feet on May 20 at Natchez, Miss., where flood stage is 48 feet.
In 1927 the Mississippi River broke out of the levee in 145 places and reached a width of 60 miles causing one of the greatest disasters of the century with 27,000 square miles flooded with up to 30 feet of water.
