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NATCHEZ — The Mississippi River is on track to crest on April 24 at 1 a.m. at a stage of 54.5 feet, which is 6.5 feet above the 48-foot flood stage in Natchez, according to the National Water Prediction Service, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

However, that crest date and stage could change depending on additional snowmelt and rainfall in the Ohio River Valley.

The Ohio River feeds into the Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois, and eventually makes its way to the Lower Mississippi River and the Miss-Lou.

Officials in Vidalia, Louisiana, and Natchez have been working for several weeks to prepare for potential flooding.

“We have already put Hesco baskets out at the riverfront,” Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft said. “We have been meeting about it for a couple of weeks now, and we are doing everything you can think of. We have already gotten with engineers and are lining up other Hesco baskets in the event those are needed.”

Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson, too, said the city is prepared.

“Our Public Works Department is well prepared in the event of flooding on Silver Street. We will be monitoring the stages daily. At approximately 50-51 feet, we will have to shut down Cooper Street, D.A. Bigland and turn Silver Street into two way traffic with no parking along the street. This has been done at times in the past, the last one being 2019 before I was elected,” Gibson said. “We do ask for everybody’s patience. We do not expect any business closings and we definitely do not expect any flooding of buildings. We are grateful for our high bluff.”

Weather for the Miss-Lou for the remainder of the week is expected to be cloudy, with a slight risk for thunderstorms after 1 p.m. on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Jackson.