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.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!