Delta prepares for worst as flood waters rise

THE Mississippi River crested in Memphis at nearly 48 feet (14.6m), falling short of its all-time record but still soaking low-lying areas with enough water to require a massive clean-up. To the south, residents in the Mississippi Delta prepared for the worst.

National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Borghoff said the river reached 47.85ft at 2am and was expected to stay very close to that level for the next 24 to 36 hours. Hitting the high point means things shouldn’t get worse, but it will take weeks for the water to recede and much longer for inundated areas to recover.

“Pretty much the damage has been done,” Borghoff said.