For the first time in its history, the World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest will be moved from Tom Lee Park in downtown Memphis--and for good reason.
The Mississippi is scheduled to reach record highs in some areas, with a crest of 48 feet expected in Memphis. This is an astonishing 14 feet above flood stage. Aside from the obvious impact on downtown Memphis (and other cities housed near the river), the high stage of the river is backing up rivers and tributaries that would normally drain into Ol' Man River, causing flooding throughout Memphis and the surrounding areas. Here are a few aerial shots a coworker shared with me today:
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| Tom Lee Park at The River |
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| Christian Brothers High School Baseball/Football Fields |
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| Shelby Farms |
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| Drive Inn Movie Theatre on Summer Ave |
With flood stages this high, protection from the water is as much about politics as any thing else. Federal Agents are monitoring levees along The Mississippi 24/7 to ensure individuals don't sabotage other levees in an effort to protect their own lands. And, on Monday, Mississippi County, Missouri petitioned the US Supreme Court unsuccessfully to put a halt to the intentional destruction of their levee by the Army Corps of Engineers. The destruction, intended to alleviate some of the pressure on levees further south and save Cairo, IL, was carried out at 10pm last night, destroying the agricultural livelihood of farmers in a 133,000 acre area. Still, officials are uncertain if the measure will take enough pressure off the river or if additional levees will need to be destroyed further south.
As for this area, still a week away from crest point, many families are already under forced evacuation, the Tunica casinos are closed (and their workers unemployed), levee access south of Memphis isn't allowed, and full cities are in danger of being flooded, particularly those on the inside of the levees. You can't turn on the news or open the paper without being bombarded with the grave impact of this flood.
The Mississippi River is a fierce force and, after years of restricting its natural course and path through the use of man-made levees, you have to expect it to reign from time-to-time.
That last statement does not diminish the level of sympathy for those profoundly affected by this disaster.
You're in my thoughts and I hope things subside very soon.
