Corps of Engineers fully activates flood fighting operations

<p class="p1">The Mississippi Valley Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported in a Dec. 30 news release that it had fully activated its flood fighting emergency management operations for the Rock Island, St. Louis, Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans districts.</p><p class="p1">The action came as the districts prepared to manage rapidly rising water levels on the Mississippi River and several tributaries, with the highest Mississippi River levels since the Great Flood of 2011.</p><p class="p1">The Army Corps of Engineers' St. Louis District has been battling flooding along the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois rivers. </p><p class="p1">The St. Louis District team is coordinating with the states of Missouri and Illinois to reduce risks to impacted areas, with a focus on levees that were overtopping or forecast to overtop by Jan. 1. </p><p class="p1">The near record flood levels inundated agricultural areas and caused evacuations of small towns and cities.</p><p class="p1">The Memphis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers initiated its flood fight on Dec. 28 for the Mississippi, Upper St. Francis and White rivers, with rapidly rising river levels forecasted for the rest of the Memphis reach of the river.</p><p class="p1">Memphis District flood-fight activities begin when the Mississippi River gage at Cairo reaches 49.0 feet. </p><p class="p1">The river stage at Cairo was expected to reach 52 feet on Dec. 30, with a forecasted crest of 59 feet expected Tuesday, Jan. 5. </p><p class="p1">During flood-fight activities, Corps personnel monitor all federal flood control works including levees, flood walls and pumping stations.</p><p class="p1">Based on National Weather Service forecasts indicating Cairo would crest at 59 feet on Jan. 5, the third highest on record, the Corps began mobilizing people, barges and operational equipment from various locations to begin possible Birds Point-New Madrid floodway operations. </p><p class="p1">Although the Corps said that it did not anticipate operating the floodway, it was preparing for any contingency that will protect the integrity of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project. </p><p class="p1">Additionally, the Corps’ Great Lakes and Ohio River Division was maximizing use of its available storage space in the Kentucky-Barkley reservoirs, essentially reducing the crest from 61.0 feet or higher. </p><p class="p1">As the crest moves south, major flood stages were in the forecast for Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans. </p><p class="p1">The Mississippi Valley Division is responsible for water resources engineering solutions in a 370,000-square-mile area, extending from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and encompassing portions of 12 states. </p><p class="p1">Work is carried out by district offices located in St. Paul, Minnesota; Rock Island, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Vicksburg, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana.</p>