Memphis, TN Flooding Conditions Continue to Increase in Severity
May 9, 2011
There is currently so much water in parts of Mud Island that residents are using kayaks to get around. One of the reasons the flooding in Memphis is so serious is because the rise of the water is a full day ahead of the original estimates. The Mississippi has officially reached over forty-seven feet. To put that number in perspective, the highest it has ever been was just under forty-nine feet. The river hit this high over seventy years ago. While officials believe this record won’t be broken, others in the area feel that conditions are right for the river to hit fifty-two feet.
One of the reasons the water is rising faster than expected is because unforecasted rain hit the Memphis area on Saturday. Now that the water is reaching such high levels, more people are being evacuated from the area. Because evacuating is not easy for everyone to do, firefighters throughout the area are helping those who need to leave get out of the area safely. To relay the extent of the water, photos have been released that show a church in the North Memphis area that is almost completely submerged.
Because some areas are being fully evacuated, many residents are fleeing to flood shelters. For example, Shelby County currently has three flood shelters open. Because there are over 350 people in these shelters, a fourth one will be opened if necessary.
One issue that is being taken very seriously is looting. To cut down on looting throughout the flooded areas of Tennessee, officers have been instructed that they will not have any days off until the flooding has passed. The extra officers are also being used to help with roadblocks throughout the area.
Police officers aren’t the only people who are working hard to minimize the negative impact of the flooding. Crews are also being used to keep many roads as drivable as possible. As conditions continue to get worse, the area’s flood controls will be pushed to their limits. While people are obviously nervous about things going wrong, officials have publicly stated their confidence in all the controls working as intended. Given that these controls have previously prevented over $350 billion in damage, officials seem justified in their current opinion.
Since conditions are already serious and only going to get worse, Tennessee’s governor has announced that the area is in a state of emergency. He is currently in the process of trying to obtain federal aid for fifteen different Tennessee counties. Resources for Memphis Flood Damage Cleanup and Memphis Water Damage Restoration can be found online or with local Memphis, TN restoration services companies.
