http://www.k5jaw.com/2011/05/ms-river-flooding-522011.html?spref=fb
<h2 class="date-header"><span>Monday, May 2, 2011</span></h2>
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MS River Flooding - 5/2/2011
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The Mississippi River is expected to crest very near 1927 record flood
levels in the coming weeks. A river stage forecast is included at the
end of this email for reference. Arkansas City is currently expected to
crest on
5/14/11 at 53.5ft. Arkansas City record flood was 4/21/1927 at 59.2ft. The river at Greenville, MS is expected to crest on
5/15/11
at 64.5ft. The record stage there was 4/21/1927 at 65.4ft. These are
crest dates only. There will be a rise prior to, and a fall after the
crest date.
While difficult to predict, some areas could remain flooded for 30 days.
The potential problem for a large portion of the Delta comes not from
the Mississippi River, but from the Yazoo River. Some geography
first: Areas generally west of Indianola are drained by streams that
empty into the Yazoo River through Steele Bayou north of Vicksburg.
Floodgates on Steele Bayou are closed, keeping the Mississippi from
backing up stream.
The Yazoo River, however, is not gated, and therefore empties directly
into the Mississippi at Vicksburg. With the Mississippi River forecast
to go so high, it will back up into the Yazoo Basin. Areas to the
east and south of the immediate Indianola area are drained by the
Yazoo.
This image was produced over the weekend, when flood stages were
predicted to be lower. It illustrates the projected maximum area of
flooding from Yazoo backwater.
NOTE: This is a projection only, and is being revised, and will likely include more areas.
There is no way to predict flooding on a street-by-street level, as
roadways, highways, and other features may block waters in any given
area. Blue areas are forecast flood areas. (More text following
picture)
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This next image illustrates the full Delta area (more text following picture).
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I do NOT wish to sound alarmist. I cannot ever recall seeing flood
projections like this for the heart of the Delta. I encourage you to
begin work today to take whatever steps necessary to protect you
valuables, your homes, and you family. Granted, these floods may not
materialize, and may not be terribly deep. But we certainly could
expect to see issues develop regarding infrastructure (transportation -
road closures, possible water/sewer issues, etc.)
Other things you can consider:
- Drinking water - 1 gallon per person, per day. One case of 16oz water (24 bottles) is enough for 3 people per day.
- Non-perishable, high-energy foods (anybody in the family have special diets?)
- Cash-on-hand, should power be lost.
- Battery-powered lights & radios
- Well-documented medical information (medical history, current prescriptions, etc).
- Adequate supply of prescription medications
- Pets? Relocate them to family outside of the area?
There are a host of online resources for more information on family disaster planning. You can start with
http://www.ready.gov/america/<wbr>beinformed/floods.html
The graphic below illustrates the current forecast for Mississippi
River stages. No further text occurs beyond the image. I'll provide
you another update as more information becomes available.
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<div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">***DO NOT USE
THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY
WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A
SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER
WARNING INFORMATION***</span></div>
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<span class="post-author vcard">
Posted by
<span class="fn">Jim Whitfield</span></span><span class="post-timestamp">
at
<abbr class="published" title="2011-05-02T21:54:00-05:00">9:54 PM</abbr>
</span><span class="post-comment-link"></span>
