Greenville’s river crest is on the rise, and will reach its highest peak of the year thus far.
The Mississippi River reached flood stage last week, which has happened every month this year.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Greenville gauge measured at 51.2 feet, which is a few feet higher than its 48-foot flood stage.
Initially expected to crest at 51.5 feet by April 4, Greenville is now expected to crest at 54.5 feet by April 7.
“We’ve reached 54.5 the last few years in a row … and we haven’t had any issues at all and we don’t expect any issues from this,” Mississippi Levee Board Chief Engineer Peter Nimrod said.
According to the National Weather Service in Jackson’s unofficial 16-day forecast, the river in Greenville could drop to 50 feet within three weeks.
Vicksburg was at 47, four feet higher than its 43-foot flood stage, as of Tuesday and is expected to crest at 50 feet by April 8.
At these stages, Nimrod said he still doesn’t anticipate any major issues as a result.
Aside from people living along Lower and Upper Lake Ferguson roads, Nimrod said, “we’re still not having any troubles at that level.”
Currently in Greenville, Warfield Point Park is closed. Lower Lake Ferguson Road is closed, which floods at 44 feet, and Upper Lake Ferguson Road goes under at 50 feet. Electricity to homes along those roads is typically cut off once the waters reach 55 feet.
The biggest concern for people along the river, he said, is the Yazoo Backwater.
As of Tuesday, the backwater was at 94.9 feet and the Steele Bayou Structure Gates officially closed Monday. At 94.9 feet, there are 434,000 total acres flooded including 158,000 acres of crop land in the Mississippi South Delta. The backwater is predicted to crest between 96 feet and 96.5 feet by mid-April. At 96.5 feet, there will be 486,000 total acres flooded including 194,000 acres of crop land.
