Noon flood update: River only 2.5 feet from record level

Published 11:57 am Sunday, May 8, 2011

The Mississippi River continued inching higher Sunday. At 10 a.m. the Natchez gauge reported a level of 55.52 feet, just 2.5 feet away from the record high of 58.04 feet set during the 1937 flood and approximately 1.5 feet away from the 2008 flood mark.

The river is expected to continue rising until the forecast crest at a level of 64 feet on May 22.

Crews continued working early Sunday to build temporary levees to protect buildings along Silver Street in Natchez and the Vidalia Riverfront.

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South of Vidalia workers added height to a levee to build up a low spot in advance of the record water levels forecast to come through the area in a few days.

Until flood worries wane, The Natchez Democrat will post daily river updates at noon and 5 p.m. Breaking news and other alerts will be posted throughout the day, as available. Also, a live feed of the Natchez river level is constantly updated 24-7 on our home page.

Send flood-related questions or submit flood photographs to newsroom@natchezdemocrat.com