Despite sunny skies, Memphis braces for worst from surging Mississippi

[Keith Bee]

Source: CNN.com

Memphis, Tennessee (CNN) -- Bright skies over Memphis, Tennessee, belied a potential disaster Sunday as a surge of fast-moving water threatened the city and many other communities along the Mississippi River.

Days earlier, the crisis centered on Cairo, Illinois, as historically high water levels in the Mississippi and Ohio river systems prompted the Army Corps of Engineers to intentionally blow up levees and flood 130,000 acres in Missouri. Now "the most high risk population" is in Memphis, according to Corps of Engineers Col. Vernie Reichling, though the worst danger zone is expected to move further south in the days to come.

"This water that we're seeing coming by is moving 2 million cubic feet per second," said Reichling of the situation on Sunday outside Memphis. "To use an analogy, in one second that water would fill up a football field 44 feet deep."

Despite a lack of new rain, the water levels rose further around Memphis to 47.6 feet late Sunday afternoon, said National Weather Service spokesman Richard Okulski. On Tuesday morning, authorities expect it to finally crest outside the western Tennessee city at 48 feet -- just short of the 48.7-feet record set in 1937, when Reichling said more than 500 people died and 20 million acres flooded.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/08/midwest.flooding/index.html?hpt=T2

---

Memphis is also more likely that L.A. to be destroyed by an earthquake. Brave people there.

[Ex Lurker]

1. I'm glad this is finally getting some national attention

the month of May is going to be scary between Memphis and New Orleans. Worst case scenario, the Mississippi River changes course. Unlikely to happen, but it almost did in 1973. Barring a meteor impact or Yellowstone volcano eruption, it's the worst natural disaster that could happen in this country. Orders of magnitude worse than a Cat 5 hurricane hitting a major city, worse than a major Cali quake or even the fabled New Madrid fault. Near total economic disruption for months at a minimum, with permanent consequences for trade, energy and transportation. Not trying to scare anybody, because it's unlikely to happen this time. But it could. And it will, someday.

Leaving that aside, the second largest oil refinery in the country sits smack dab behind the levee in Baton Rouge. If it goes under water, you'll see gas prices jump above $6 or $7 a gallon overnight, and that's just one example.

[Ghost Dog]

2. All eyes on the Old River Control Structure

at the Mississippi, Red River, Atchafalaya confluence.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x293106

Has maintenance/upgrade work here been adequately undertaken?

[Ex Lurker]

4. It was extensively reengineered after '73

and an auxiliary structure was built alongside it. It SHOULD hold, but nobody really knows. The rumor is that they don't want to increase the flow more than a percent or two above the statutory 30% because they're afraid they won't be able to throttle it back again. BTW, the "official" decision about Morganza will be made this week, but it's already a done deal. They've been making the necessary preparations since last week.

[Ex Lurker]

5. Aannd there's more rain on the way

http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/slow-may-severe-ramps-up_2011-05-06

[emcguffie]

7. What's Morganza? NT

[Ex Lurker]

9. the Morganza Floodway. When opened, it diverts water from the Mississippi

down the Atchafalaya River, relieving some of the pressure on Baton Rouge and New Orleans. However, Morgan City sits at the mouth of the Atchafalaya. Divert too much water and it gets flooded. It's a balancing act. http://www.johnweeks.com/river_mississippi/pages/lmiss24.html

[midnight]

3. K&R

[emcguffie]

6. My home town. I miss it.

I'm saying prayers for them.

When I lived there, people didn't have homes on Mud Island, which is in the Mississippi. Generally speaking, Memphis itself wasn't much in danger of flooding, as it was on a bluff. West Memphis, across the river in Arkansas, flooded all the time. So when they say these particular homes are in danger of flooding, I want to know just where they are. Maybe they are the homes on Mud Island?

[Celebration]

10. mostly

they are along the Loosahatchie in north Memphis--Millington, Arlington, etc., and along Nonconnah Creek is south Memphis. The Wolf River is also a bit of a problem, as it nears downtown. There was flooding on that earlier with flash flooding in Germnantown. Most of the Mud Island homes are a foot or two above the flood, but some apartments many be flooded, and a school, etc. Part of Riverside Drive is under water.

[xchrom]

8. recommend

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Strange headline

And strange opening paragraph. Of course the sunny skies are irrelevant.

[center rising]

12. Funny

Memphis is flooding, Texas is under a severe drought. I wish there were a way to transport some of that water to Texas to help them out.