# Road Trip to the Mississippi



## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Yesterday was a wonderful spring day. Sunshine, and no rain. DH had a meeting near the Miss River and asked if I wanted to ride with him. I didn't hesitate for a moment. I have been cooped up for nearly 4 months and watched the change of seasons from my upstairs window and rides around Paris. Everything was in the peak of green. The wheat fields are as if they were just waiting for me to see them before they turn to amber. I made DH pull over and let me feast my eyes on the fields. Not a single touch of brown anywhere. Enough of that, I will start crying. On to the river. It is wide. I couldn't see across where we were. I would have loved to have gone farther north and crossed over to the west bank to see how far the water goes there. 

My son sent pictures from Memphis that show the water line up the bank looking at Memphis proper. Most of the news people show it looking away from Memphis and give the impression that Memphis downtown is in danger of being flooded. Course it is setting on a hill and is in no danger. But all that was built below at the bottom and on Mud Island is flooded. I can't imagine why anyone would build expensive homes in the middle of the Miss River. The island used to have sand and gravel stored on it--stuff like that--then some idiots decided to develop the island I guess. 

We will be affected by the flood in a small way. We have two rather large surveys in the Miss Delta (one near Vicksburg and one near Greenwood) that will have to be completely started over as the flood waters will destroy all markers that we have put down.

All in all a wonderful day and interesting.


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## trueblue (Jan 22, 2008)

I've been watching this very closely. As soon as they open up the Morganza Spillway (and they will...just a matter of days), everything could change. Scary stuff for sure.

Glad to see you're up and about


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## Miss Paige (Apr 4, 2008)

Glad to hear you are feeling better Lucile-and glad you were able to make the drive. Take care and go slow but recover soon.
Kim-hope you are safe & high and dry in LA-know we are thinking about all our southern friends and hoping no one gets flooded. It's such a scary thing to have happen.

Pat (humom to)
Miss Paige
Mr Roman
Ms Frannie (my true angel girl)
Ms T-my foster girl-who loves being here


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Kim I watched a special about the new levees in NO and the corps said that NO would not ever flood again. Course no one ever looks at the extent of the flood plain of the MS and envisions that the MS really could extend that far outside its banks. From Memphis to Forrest City, Arkansas is a long way, I don't know the distance. But believe me it is flat and then you start climbing up out of the flood plain. The river is nowhere to be seen, but without the levees, it would be seen now I would imagine. Then NO probably wouldn't be in danger again. And I heard that the campus of LSU was in danger if they didn't open the spillway and opening the spillway threatened NO. Seems that man shouldn't have messed with the river to start with.


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## trueblue (Jan 22, 2008)

The way I understand it is that opening the spillway will alleviate the flow rate and pressure going into Baton Rouge and NO, so they should be spared from flooding due to overtopping of levees. I think there may still be some concern about breaches in some of the levees which could cause flooding. I'm about 50 miles ssw of NO in Lafourche Parish, and some of our parish could be affected by opening the Morganza Spillway which I understand will happen beginning on Saturday. The Morganza Spillway hasn't been opened since 1973, and it has sustained some damage at that time and later in 1998. I've read that there is some concern that once opened, they wouldn't be able to close it, and the river would then be able to change its course. I can't even imagine how the landscape would change in that scenario. Although I should stay dry, please keep all the people of South Louisiana in your prayers as this could well alter life as we know it.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Are there any other forum members affected by the Miss out there? I wonder about Natchez under the River. Course I know that it is probabley already flooded. I wish that the newcasters would drive through the Delta towns in MS and explain whether they will be flooded or not. They were in 1937 but then there are the levees. The towns were built back and flourished. But now people have moved off. Interstates have bypassed the towns and most of the stores and houses are deserted. If the towns flood this time there will be no point in building back. The pitiful part is though there are still the poor living in the part that will flood that have nothing and no where to go and no way to replace what they loose. 

Kim I am interested in what happens with the spillway. They are opening it today. Keep us informed about the water down your way.


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I remember when I was growing up in Memphis several times taking a lunch trip on the river in an excursion paddle boat where we would stop at Mud Island and get off and walk around. Nothing was there. It was just a piece of land. Although I've been back to memphis numerous times, I've had no urging to see the built up mud island. One of my cousing sent me pictures of places I would recognize under water and this was not the river, but just plain rain. She hasn't sent any more since the river raged, but I've seen plenty on the weather channel.


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