Disasters

Memphis Deals with Historic Flood

As New Orleans braces itself.

Some of Memphis’ historic Beale St. is under water and some 400 city residents evacuated their homes Monday as the Mississippi River reached its highest level since 1937. Further havoc is expected as the Mississippi crest moves downriver, toward New Orleans where it will arrive next week. In Louisiana, the Army Corps of Engineers has already opened the Bonnet Carre spillway into a lake in order to ease pressure on the New Orleans levees. Twenty-eight of the spillway’s 350 bays are now open, and all will be opened in the coming days, according to the New Orleans Times Picayune. The New Orlean’s levees will face their greatest stress since Hurricane Katrina.