the hog coming down the snake...

it's been a really busy few weeks,  folks. we went up to NC to see boone's family for Easter, Boone started his new job (!), i've been wrapping up the year with my teachers, and then we went BACK to NC for a wedding last weekend. on top of these things we adopted a stray kitten and have been wringing our hands about the mississippi river and all it's tributaries that have been and will be flooding for the next month or two.

on the news this morning the today show talked about the flooding in cairo, talked a little about memphis, then jumped straight down to baton rouge and new orleans, completely skipping over tunica, greenville/lake village, and vicksburg, all of which will likely be hit hard by the flooding. just like in 1927 and 1937.

we're going to be safe, i think...although IF (big if) the yazoo river levee's breached, we may be in some trouble. like, serious trouble. maybe i'm putting too much faith in the levee board, but i believe them when they say that things are looking ok on the eastern side of the delta. the cassidy bayou in front of our house looks full, but not it's flooding, so i don't think we need to evacuate. 

but what about all the people with homes and jobs and lives even closer to the river? they're DEFINITELY going to be affected...plus the economic impact of this flood will likely further cripple mississippi, and none of the national news people are even talking about it.... none but NPR and the NYT. bless you for taking the threat to the mississippi delta seriously, public radio and hoity toity newspapers.

 

how are things actually going for the delta? 

The most accurate and up to date information i could find was at the delta council's website. friends, as of yesterday it didn't look good. memphis is cresting, but even that amount of water is more than will reach greenville and vicksburg. Our eloquent governor called the waters, "the hog coming down the snake" which, although oddly worded, is a pretty accurate piece of imagery. what about rosedale? friar's point? rolling fork? and the other teeny little towns that touch the levee?

if you love the delta like i do, cross your fingers, say your prayers, and get ready to support the Red Cross as the waters rise over the next few weeks. i think we'll ultimately still have a mississippi delta at the end of all of this, but lots of families close to the river are in trouble, and they'll need lots of help.

i thought you might want to see some photos from the 1927 flood in the delta, just to help you picture the worst case scenario. we're hoping for the BEST case scenario, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

all my love... and please keep the delta in your thoughts. and if you want to know more about the earlier floods, read rising tide.