A Lot of Critters in a Small Area

One of the worst impacts of the flood has been the displacement of animals everywhere.  Yesterday morning flood victims Charles and Melanie Lampley awoke to a bobcat on their porch.  The animal, one of the apex predators of the area, seems exhausted.  It was there again this morning but had gone off to find food by noon time.

A flood displaced bobcat sits on the porch. Dry land is scarce.

The buzzards are pleased with the flood.

Another flood victim, Stormy Deere, has a pair of ‘guard gators’ near her mailbox in her Redwood area home.  They have been there off and on for a few days now.

A sizable alligator sits nears the mailbox.

The mail may be a bit late today.

The Great Backwater Flood of 2019 will become the longest lasting flood in U.S. history.  Next Monday the Morganza Spillway will be opened for only the third time in its history.  It will flood the Atchafalaya area and provide relief to the downstream cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans.  It will have no impact upstream.  The Bonne Carre Spillway was opened for the second time this season.

With the local crest date of the Mississippi River now the 9th of June at 51.5 feet this Backwater flood will be on the ground for a very, very long time.  This crest date does not include the anticipated rainfall in the upper midwest this week of up to 7 inches.  That will most likely increase the crest height and date once again.  The 28-day projection includes a very slow drop of only a foot or so.  That means the backwater will be at or near this level until at least the middle of July.  Some projections show this flood may last into September.

41% of the nation’s water flows down the Mississippi River.  Heavy rains in the Ohio Valley late last year began this deluge of water that led to this long-lasting flood.

The only bright spot is there has been no loss of life due to this flood.  The hard work of people like Eagle Lake Fire Chief Earl Wallace, Assistant Chief Chris Libbey, the Warren County Emergency Management team, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and hundreds of concerned citizens are to be credited with saving every human life in the area.

The animals are not so lucky.