Cities along the Mississippi River are continuing to prepare for the water after closing flood gates and soaking four days of heavy rain that saw up to 15 inches of rain in some areas.
The river is projected to be up to 54 feet (54 feet above the major flood stage) in Cairo, Illinois on April 10, according to the National Weather Service. The river could exceed 50 feet for about two weeks, said David Welch, a senior hydrologist at the Mississippi River Prediction Center, on Monday.
The rain has stopped for now, but the basin is still not out of danger. Published by Dyer County in northwest Tennessee Essential evacuation Monday orders for Bogota and surrounding communities due to the “immediate threat of flooding.” More than 100 residents of West Memphis, Arkansas, had been rescued from their homes as of Sunday.
Officials in Memphis and Cape Giraldeau, Missouri, are closely monitoring the rising water after several days of flash flood damage. Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee are actively declaring federal government disaster declarations in early April after tornadoes, strong winds and heavy rains. According to FEMA. Kentucky and Missouri have also declared disasters on past storms over the past few months.
(Photo: Sean Pezeshk/Us Army Engineers, Memphis District)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in flood combat mode, which allows them to provide equipment and support to local governments, said Drew Smith of the Corps’ Mississippi Valley Division. Multiple tributaries of the Mississippi River in the Memphis area saw “unprecedented rainfall” in the St. Francis/Little River Basin, the Obion, Forked Deer and the Lussa Hatchee River.
“I’ve seen it last week or so because there’s been a drought along the powerful state of Mississippi for three years since April 2023 and there’s no substantial high water along the river, so I’ve seen it last week or so, Bryceville, Arkansas Mayor Melisa Logan said at a press conference on Monday, hosted by the Mississippi River Initiative.
Logan is the Arkansas Chair of a nonprofit that represents local leaders in riverside flood-prone cities and towns; Lobbying in Washington, DC Further funding for flood control projects.
Colin Wellenkamp, executive director of MRCTI, said the organization has multiple flood mitigation projects that have created 100,000 acres of natural flood reservoirs ranging from Lacrosse, Wisconsin to Louisiana. Some of these projects helped to absorb flooding and risks during the event, he said.
Missouri, Tennessee city reports major damage
Northwest Arkansas received double-digit rainfall between April 2nd and April 5th, Logan said. Her area saw some flooding, but was superior to other cities along the river.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the city suffered 12 inches of rain, causing flooding, fallen trees and a blackout.
“Thankfully, our team worked really hard, they were very responsive and very prepared for the storm that happened,” he said. “If there is that level of rainfall, the system will not be able to drain the water at the required speed.”
Missouri, Cape Giraldeau, and several small towns in Cape County have been heavily damaged by floods and at least one tornado, Mayor Stacey Kinder said.
The Big Maddy River, a tributary of the Mississippi River that runs through southern Illinois, has seen the highest flood levels for many years. Cape Giraldeau has opened green spaces over the past few years to create a natural flood storage area north of the city, Kinder said.
These projects helped to preserve some of the floods, but Cape Girardau’s water treatment system cannot keep up. The system typically processes around 26 million gallons in a few days. Between April 2 and April 6, we dealt with 91 million gallons, Kinder said.
The excessive volume causes the 24-inch sewer main to break near the edge of the river, putting repairs on hold until the sewer system begins to drain.
“We’ve been able to alleviate the leaks as long as the lift station is up and running, so we’re crossing prayers and fingers,” Kinder said. “We hope that the impact is not too incredible, but that’s a big deal.”
The city has closed its Mississippi River flood forces in anticipation of a 37-foot flood stage, and the city’s pump station is being continually protected to keep the water moving from downtown, she said.
Mitigation measures have eased the blows in some towns
Mayor Nick White of New Madrid, Missouri, said his community saw rain in several areas and the floods caused blackouts and sewer issues. The city used a gravitational drain that filled 50,000 sandbags over five days early in the flood event, pipes or drains that use gravity to exterminate water away from the bulging and structures – a gravitational drain that filled 50,000 sandbags over five days. The minimal house was flooded.
“It could have been worse. I’m grateful for the results we’ve achieved so far,” White said.
The river is expected to reach 41.5 feet at its peak. The flood stage in New Madrid is 34 feet.
In Osceola, Arkansas, Mayor Joe Harris Jr. reported “minimum damage.” The city has been working to improve storm drainage for the past three months.
Tiptonville, Tennessee, closed its floodgates Monday morning, Mayor Cliff Berry said. The town has experienced minimal damage so far, but nearby Obion County has not been so fortunate. Breeding, small town We suffered a serious flood in Februaryfilled with water again, he said.
Horseshoe Lake in East St. Louis, Illinois, is equivalent to about 500 Olympic pools, protecting five cities in the area, Welenkamp said. At the confluence of rivers in Illinois and Mississippi, a still-not-complete flood storage project is still taking on some water and repurposing it from Grafton, Illinois and Alton, Missouri.
Flood reduction structures along the large mud rivers support the slow storage of floodwaters that otherwise pass through Cape Girardau, Wernkamp said. The new forests being built in West Memphis should put pressure on roads and from floods in North Memphis, he said.
“This all adds capacity, reduces overall risk and creates a situation that is less impactful than otherwise,” Wellenkamp said. “Even though some of these projects are ongoing, we report that these projects are working and do what they’re designed to do.”
This story is a product of Mississippi River Basin AG & Water DeskIndependent reporting network based on University of Missouri Partnership with American Reportmajor funding from the Walton Family Foundation.
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