Major River Flooding April-May'11

[Curt]

Please start posting about MS River or any other river flooding here.

[Curt]

For future reference for MS River at Memphis:

48.7 This is a record flood.
48 Riverside Drive on the Memphis water front and Tom Lee Park is flooded.
44 there is significant flooding occurring along both banks of the river in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi
43.2 Water begins to go over lowest dike around Alan Steam Plant ash settling ponds
40 Homsteads on Robinson Cruso Island are flooding. There is extensive backwater flooding along the Wolf and Loosahatchie River in western Shelby County.
34 Camp on Robinson Road right inside the levee is totally flooded. Roads to industries inside the levee south of West Memphis are flooding.
32.5 Harbortown boat ramp at the mouth of the Wolf River is covered. Robinson Road is under water north of Interstate 40. Access roads to fields in extreme southwest Shelby County are flooded in spots.
31 Most of the farmland west of Memphis is under water. Dacus Lake Road north of Interstate 40 is flooded.

Historical Crests
(1) 48.70 ft on 02/10/1937
(2) 45.80 ft on 04/23/1927
(3) 40.76 ft on 03/14/1997
(4) 40.50 ft on 05/08/1973
(5) 40.50 ft on 02/22/1950
(6) 40.30 ft on 03/07/1975
(7) 40.20 ft on 05/22/1961
(8 )  39.20 ft on 04/06/1945
(9) 39.20 ft on 05/15/1983
(10) 39.10 ft on 06/01/1995

[harlequin]

I'm only quoting warnings from Cairo and downriver.

* FLOOD WARNING FOR
  THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT CARUTHERSVILLE
* UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
* AT 12 PM SATURDAY THE STAGE WAS...36.8 FEET.
* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 32.0 FEET.
* THE RIVER ROSE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE FRIDAY APRIL 15 AND WILL CONTINUE
  RISING TO NEAR 45.5 FEET BY FRIDAY MAY 6.  ADDITIONAL RISES MAY
  BE POSSIBLE THEREAFTER.
AT 45.0 FEET, THE FRONTLINE LEVEE ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER UP AND
DOWN FROM CHIC IN DYER COUNTY COULD BE TOPPED.  ALL AREAS THAT ARE
PROTECTED BY THE FRONTLINE LEVEE COULD FLOOD..

* FLOOD WARNING FOR
  THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT TIPTONVILLE
* UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
* AT 12 PM SATURDAY THE STAGE WAS...39.7 FEET.
* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND RECORD FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 37.0 FEET.
* THE RIVER ROSE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE TUESDAY EVENING AND WILL CONTINUE
  RISING TO NEAR 48.0 FEET BY WEDNESDAY MAY 4.  ADDITIONAL RISES
  MAY BE POSSIBLE THEREAFTER.
AT 47.0 FEET, PORTIONS OF THE TIPTONVILLE LEVEE EXTENSION ARE OVER
TOPPED AT THIS LEVEL.  EVACUATIONS IN THE LOW AREAS OF TIPTONVILLE
ARE NECESSARY.

THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR
  THE OHIO RIVER AT CAIRO.
* UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
* AT 12:00 PM SATURDAY THE STAGE WAS 51.1 FEET.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 40.0 FEET.
* MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 58.5 FEET BY
  TUESDAY MAY 3RD.
* IMPACT...AT 59.5 FEET...THIS FLOOD WILL EXCEED THE HIGHEST STAGE ON
  RECORD.

[bugalou]

As many of you know, I work at the casinos in Tunica.  I will try to get some pictures from the top of the Horseshoe Casino Hotel once this thing peaks (assuming we will not have to close!  )

I will say, thing are coming together to have a pretty big event on the ole Mississippi this year.

[Kevin]

Caruthersville, MO has just been upgraded to record flooding forecast. Helena, AR has just been upgraded to moderate flooding forecast.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS TN HAS ISSUED A  
  
* FLOOD WARNING FOR  
  THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT CARUTHERSVILLE  
* UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.  
* AT 11 AM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS...37.6 FEET.  
* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND RECORD FLOODING IS FORECAST.  
* FLOOD STAGE IS 32.0 FEET.  
* THE RIVER IS ABOVE FLOOD STAGE  AND WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR  
  47.0 FEET BY FRIDAY MAY 6.  ADDITIONAL RISES MAY BE POSSIBLE  
  THEREAFTER.  
AT 49.0 FEET, TIPTONVILLE OBION LEVEE SYSTEM IS TOPPED..    

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS TN HAS ISSUED A  
  
* FLOOD WARNING FOR  
  THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT HELENA  
* FROM LATE SATURDAY MORNING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.  
* AT 11 AM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS...39.4 FEET.  
* MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST.  
* FLOOD STAGE IS 44.0 FEET.  
* FORECAST TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY LATE SATURDAY APRIL 30 AND  
  CONTINUE TO RISE TO NEAR 51.5 FEET BY TUESDAY MAY 10. ADDITIONAL  
  RISES ARE POSSIBLE THEREAFTER.  
AT 51.0 FEET,  LOADING DOCKS NOT PROTECTED BY LEVEES ARE FLOODED.  

[Kevin]

Memphis crest has been rasied to 44.0 feet...just below major flood

MEMPHIS        34  31.5  +0.7 32.3 32.9 33.6 34.7 35.7 44.0 05/08A 04/27A

[Curt]

Memphis crest has been rasied to 44.0 feet...just below major flood

And now are are fliriting with flooding on the level of 1927. That flood allowed the army corps to do some serious work on the levees, which should prevent the kind of catastrophic flooding seen way back when. Nontheless, there is only so much much that the levees can hold back, even with current standards as such. 44 feet will most likely flood much more than just Arkansas fields. The Wolf river usually backs up significantly into homes and businesses in north Memphis at levels lower than that.

[StormNine]

The Ohio River at Cairo may approach 60feet.  Higher than 1937 levels, and I believe may be high enough in Far West KY on both the Ohio and MS to be able to topple of levees.  Top of protection at Cairo IL is 64 feet.  Some towns along the MS and OH river do not have levee or dam protection those towns could be devastated. 

[jmundie]

Was it 2001 when the wolf river flooded all of cbhs's athletic fields?

[Curt]

Was it 2001 when the wolf river flooded all of cbhs's athletic fields?

Yup. That was due to heavy rains in the Wolf River basin. I want to say it had close to a record crest in Germantown. With the MS River rising and not allowing tributaries to empty, they simply get backed up; any heavy rains in their basins would most certainly aggrevate. I have never seen the kinf of flooding along the MS river that we may see in my lifetime so far; so its impacts even as far in as G'town could be impacted somewhat.

[Curt]

And not to look to far out, but another heavy rain maker looks to be on tap for next weekend.

[bugalou]

This is going to be a very interesting next few weeks at work for me being right next to the river and all!

[beneficii]

 How do things look for downtown Memphis?

[harlequin]

How do things look for downtown Memphis?

According to the NWS at 48 ft Tom Lee Park and Riverside Drive go under. 48 ft has only been eclipsed once, in 1937. Downtown's elevation protects it pretty well. Backwater flooding will be the big threat in Shelby County. Memphis doesn't have to deal with potential levee overtopping or levee breaches like the Delta areas and floodplains do.

[mempho]

MEG has also issued a PDS Flash Flood Watch.  There is not yet a thread about the severe weather threat over the next few days (25th thru the 27th), but I think both the flooding and the severe could each be major events at this time and this could be a big deal for all of us.