There is no doubt about it — we are under an information flood emergency.

Whether it is from television, radio, newspaper or computer, the amount of data, photographs, graphics and technical information about the Mississippi River is rising at an exponential pace. That doesn’t include the rumors, anecdotes and anxiety that is being shared at the post office, restaurants and neighborhood sidewalks.

A simple Internet search for “2011 Mississippi River flood” results in more than 3 million links. Government web sites alone provide a torrent of data. Not only are there large graphs of numbers detailing nearly every aspect of the current river conditions — from river height to water flow rates — there are also pages and pages of historical and technical information available at the click of a mouse.

In the end though none of the numbers, graphs, photographs and rumors helps answer the question everyone who crowded the Vidalia City Hall Tuesday wanted answered.

Vidalia alderwoman Mo Saunders knew it looking across the crowd of faces.

“I think the question everyone here wants to know is ‘Do you get your stuff out now or do you wait to see what is going to happen?’” Saunders said.

After 40 minutes of talk about ring levees, Hesco Bastion barriers, sand boils, the Morganza Spillway and everything flood related, the main question remained unanswered.

The same thing happened Wednesday night at a public meeting at the Vidalia First Baptist Church. At that meeting, local leaders including Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland and Concordia Parish Sheriff Randy Maxwell admitted they did not know many of the answers, and were not sure anyone else did either.

In Tuesday’s meeting Copeland complimented the work of the Corps of Engineers and thanked them for providing as many facts as they had.

At the same time, the mayor also pointed out that just like everyone in the audience, the Corps was in uncharted waters as it were.

“They are in new territory. The graphs they are doing now they have never done before,” Copeland said. “We are in new times.”

Despite the flood of data produced by the National Weather Service, the Corps of Engineers and other governmental agencies, no one knows with 100 percent certainty what will happen when the floodwaters rise to historic levels. If all of the computer models and engineering analyses are correct, the levees will hold and Concordia Parish will remain dry.

More than likely that will happen, the Corps says. If so, we will all be thankful. We will also foolishly think that, once again, we are in command. And maybe for another 84 years we will be.

But time and time again the forces of nature have proven us wrong. Another historic flood will come and top the one predicted in the coming weeks. When it does the same questions asked today will be asked then.

It is a symptom of our info-centered times that we think we can gamble against weather, floods, forest fires, health and happiness.

But in the end who are we to think we are in control?

Ben Hillyer is the design editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3540 or by e-mail at ben.hillyer@natchezdemocrat.com.