NATCHEZ — Adams County officials say they’re watching the rising Mississippi River, but probably won’t act since a quick fall in level is anticipated.

The river has risen approximately 9 feet since the beginning of the month, the rise accelerated by several days of heavy rains across Louisiana and Mississippi last week.

The river is expected to crest Thursday at 50.3 feet, 2.3 feet above the 48-foot flood stage at Natchez.

The river is expected to be at 50.1 feet this morning, but after its Thursday crest will start dropping and is anticipated to fall to 49.8 feet by Sunday

Adams County Emergency Management Director Robert Bradford said his office is keeping an eye on the river but waiting to ask the county government to declare a state of emergency.

“It is supposed to rise, but it will fall real fast,” he said. “It won’t be a continuous steady rise, so we are just monitoring it.”

More rain is expected in the area and in areas that affect the Mississippi River watershed in coming days, however, and Bradford said the office, “will issue a declaration if (the river) stays up.”

The county government has already closed two roads because of the high water, Anna’s Bottom Road and Carthage Point Road, which are almost always affected by the rising river.

“When the water crosses the road, we shut it down because it is not safe,” Adams County Board of Supervisors President Mike Lazarus said.

“People need to stay off the road when the water is over it.”

The Miss-Lou has already marked one high water event this year, when the river rose to 56.69 feet in January, barely skirting under the National Weather Service’s “major flood” label by one-tenth of a foot.

While flood stage is officially marked at 48 feet, some areas in the Miss-Lou are affected before the river reaches that stage.

The former Belwood Country Club near the Natchez-Adams County Port takes on water at 47 feet. Carthage Point Road, which is near the Belwood property, is likewise impacted at that point.

At 45 feet, some buildings in the Wilkinson County community of Fort Adams are impacted by the floodwaters. The Concordia Parish areas of Deer Park and Minorca are likewise affected by the high water prior to flood stage.

At 44 feet, the areas around Lake Mary are inundated, while Thornburg Lake Road in Anna’s Bottom in Northern Adams County — where some agricultural interests are located — starts to take on water at 43 feet.