‘All is well’ along the levee

‘All is well’ along the levee

SFLD head says high water no threat to county residents

ralphhardin@gmail.com Crossing either of the two bridges spanning the Mississippi River from Arkansas into Tennessee might give motorists pause, considering the swollen banks of the river, but for St. Francis Levee District CEO Rob Rash, who waited out the historic 2011 flood, this level of high water is no cause for alarm. Rash has offered periodic updates on the rising waters over the past few weeks, letting residents know that they were well protected “The excessive rainfall has forced a change in the forecast for the Mississippi River at Memphis to 41 feet on February 27th,” Rash posted in an update last week. “This crest forecast is 7 feet above flood stage but 7.03 feet lower than the 2011 flood.”

The river topped out at just over 48 feet eight years ago in what was deemed a “100-year flood,” one statistically only likely to occur once a century.

Even with more rain in the forecast, Rash does not expect the river to reach anywhere near those levels. Regardless of rainfall in the next several days, he’s confident in the integrity of the levee.

“All is well within the District,” said Rash.

By Ralph Hardin