A Gathering of Storm Clouds

Yesterday, the weather forecast for Vicksburg was for "scattered thunderstorms, some possibly severe ..." and around noon, it looked as if the weather man was right. I happened to be out running errands (with my cameras in the car with me), and noticed some ominous clouds gathering overhead.

I decided to go over to the Mississippi Welcome Center located high on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, and watch the clouds moving in over the bridges.

There was a brisk wind blowing and the flag on top of the railroad bridge was completely unfurled, which is always an awesome sight (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like).

The water tower in this next picture is on the Louisiana side of the river, across from Vicksburg.

It looked as if it was raining in Louisiana, but the rain never made it to our side of the river.

Here are a few of the pictures I captured of the bridges from the overlook at the Welcome Center. I love the contrast of the bright watermelon Crape Myrtle blooms against the gray skies (you can see them better if you click on the pictures).

Although we had some really promising-looking rain clouds for a while, the "scattered" thunderstorms must have scattered elsewhere.

We didn't need the storms, but we surely could have used some rain.

The Mighty Mississippi

The Mississippi River is getting a lot of attention in the news these days, but it's not good news. The "trickle down" effect is not only related to the economy, but can also be found at work in Nature, as river cities from Illinois to New Orleans prepare for what has been predicted as one of the worst floods in decades.

Its name means "Father of Waters," but in the next couple of weeks, a lot of people will probably realize why the river is also called the Mighty Mississippi.

The predictions for the river's crest here in Vicksburg, are holding steady, despite more than two inches of rain in the area recently. Yesterday, the river level was at 40.3 feet, and is expected to crest at 53.2 feet, the highest since 1937.

In 2008, the river topped out at 50.9 feet, and here are two pictures I captured of the river then ...

If current crest predictions hold, all riverside roadways in Vicksburg, will go under water according to a report issued Tuesday by the Board of Mississippi Levee Commissioners. The Warren County supervisors have declared a disaster ahead of the looming flood waters, and preparations are being made to house flood evacuees at the Vicksburg Convention Center, if the need arises.

Here is the way things looked yesterday when I made several stops along the river in Vicksburg.

The Water Front

The river is currently at the 40.3 mark, and is predicted to hit the 1937 level of 53.2, so you can see how much higher it will be on the gauge in this picture:

Scenes of the river from the Water Front:

The river banks on the Louisiana side ...

After leaving the water front, I headed toward the double bridges crossing the river, and drove up to the top of the parking garage of Ameristar Casino "to see what I could see."

We have been plagued by lingering March winds along with April showers, and the ragged edge of the flag atop the railroad bridge is showing signs of its constant battering by the wind ...

The Mighty Mississippi, indeed!

Look at the treacherous currents!

The Railroad Bridge

View from the Mississippi Welcome Center ...

The benchmark 1927 flood reached 56.2 feet on today’s gauges, and it would have been 62 feet had the levees held.

I'm glad I wasn't around to take pictures of it back then.

In the next few days,I'll try to capture a photo record of the river's water levels, and will keep you posted. Perhaps, we will get lucky and the Mighty Mississippi will become Ol' Man River by the time it gets to Vicksburg. We can always hope, I guess!