Mississippi River Crests Near Record Levels

The Mississippi River reached near record levels on Monday when it crested at 48 feet around 7 p.m. Experts, who have been watching as heavy rains swell the waterway’s thousands of tributaries and feeder streams, expect the level to remain high for at least the next 48 hours. Memphis residents began to evacuate their homes over the weekend, for fear that the flood waters could rise high enough to become a serious threat. This flooding might prove more devastating than the 1927 floods, which killed hundreds and flooded tens of thousands of farmland acreage. For more  about the areas most affected by the floods, we look to Tennessee and speak with Memphis Daily News reporter  Bill Dries  and  Myron Lowery, chairman of the Memphis city council.