Mississippi River to Rapidly Rise

Over the next couple of weeks, the Mississippi River will double in depth from its current 17.5 feet to almost 35 feet.  This includes a dramatic one day rise of 4 feet expected to begin this Friday, the 14th of September.

Recreational users of the Mississippi should be aware of their location and conditions at all times.  Those who are planning to camp near the river should be especially careful.  Such a rapid rise could inundate your campsite, wash away your vehicles, camp accouterments and potentially create a life-threatening situation.

Such a rapid rise on the river is not a rare event but it is uncommon.  The factors driving the increase include record heavy rains in the Pennsylvania area this year.  Pennsylvania has been experiencing record rainfall in 2018 and was drenched last weekend with another deluge that caused sporadic flooding in areas that had been dry for decades.   The runoff from that area makes its way to the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River.

These current predictions do not include any impact from Hurricane Florence that is expected to drench the coast this weekend and has caused mandatory evacuations.