The Mississippi River has reached flood stage once again in the Queen City, which has happened every month this year thus far.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Greenville gauge measured at 48.2 feet, which is just a tad higher than its 48-foot flood stage. Greenville is expected to crest at 51.5 feet by April 4 and according to the National Weather Service in Jackson’s unofficial 16-day forecast, the river could reach 53 feet in about three weeks.
Vicksburg was at 43 feet as of Monday and is expected to crest at 46 feet by April 10.
At these stages, Mississippi Levee Board Chief Engineer Peter Nimrod said he doesn’t anticipate any major issues as a result.
“At 53 feet, we don’t have hardly any issues at all,” he said.
Currently in Greenville, Warfield Point Park is closed and Lower Lake Ferguson Road, which floods at 44 feet, is flooded. Upper Lake Ferguson Road is still open but goes under water when the Greenville gage reaches 50 feet.
The biggest concern for folks along the river, he said, is the Yazoo Backwater, which had crested at 96.6 feet on March 5, leaving 490,000 acres, including 196,000 acres of cropland in the Mississippi South Delta, under water.
As of Tuesday, the backwater was at 94 feet and the Steele Bayou Structure Gates remained open.
“The gates are still open but the river is starting to catch up and tightening the gap,” Nimrod said. “Any day, the gates are going to have to close or all this rain we’re having is going to keep the back water going up for a while. … They need a break down there, they need a pump.”
