Random Thoughts: Flooding 2011

Here are some photos taken April 29 and 30 in the Memphis area. Except for Tom Lee Park and the photo looking toward Arkansas, all these photos are flooding from the Wolf River. Near the Mississippi it is worse now and not expected to crest until a week from today. They have already evacuated hundreds of people into shelters who live closer to the Mississippi. They are now predicting a crest of 48' - just 6" short of the all time record set in 1937. (Read the book "Rising Tide".) All the casinos in Tunica are closed. The Wolf and Loosahatchie Rivers and Nonnconnah, Fletcher and Big Creeks can't drain because the Mississippi is so high that the water is flowing into those rivers, not out of them. Last night the Corps of Engineers blew up a levee in Missouri, creating a 200 sq. mile lake, but that was to relieve pressure at Cairo, IL where the river was 60 feet. They blew another hole so the water in the lake just flows back into the Mississippi, so it's still coming this way. And in the last 36 hours we've had about 5 more inches of rain here - more up in the Ohio Valley.

This is the Shelby County shooting range at Shelby Farms.

The Putt-Putt golf, gocart and entertainment park on Summer Avenue.

The sports complex at Christian Brothers High School - that is the baseball and football stadium under water. Baptist Hospital is across the street and stayed mainly dry. That's Walnut Grove going left to right.

This is looking east from Shelby Farms - Germantown Parkway is the road going left to right. See the dark blue sliver on the left about an inch down from the top - that's Walnut Grove Lake - my house is just east of there in the trees. Fortunately we're up on a hill so the river can't get to us but it made getting around town challenging.

Tom Lee Park downtown Memphis, setting up for the Music Festival last weekend. In two weeks for the Barbeque contest this will all be under water so they moved it to the tailgate parking lot at the Liberty Bowl. It won't be the same as hanging out at the river. The houses at the bottom of the photo are up on top of a high bluff so they are not in danger. The weird rectangular house in the lower right was built by Cybil Sheppard.