Mississippi River to go above flood stage in the next few weeks

The strong storms and heavy rainfall have dropped a bunch of water north of here. That water, along with the normal January rise will cause the Mississippi River to rise above flood stage once again. The current projection, including the heavy rains this morning, is that the river will crest at 44 feet in Vicksburg on January 27, 2020. 43 feet is flood stage.

The gates at Steele Bayou will most likely be closed today. That will trap water in the backwater area. The backwater is expected to peak at 89 feet, well below the record level of  98.2 feet recorded in The Great Backwater Flood of 2019.

At this time all the levels are being measured and reassessed. The Vicksburg Daily News will update the projected levels as that information becomes available.