With reports of the Mississippi River causing widespread flooding across the nation, National Weather Service data indicates the University’s campus and other parts of the city and state should escape the rising waters. NWS officials expect the river to hit its flood stage Saturday and raise to 39 feet by April 7. But a NWS bulletin said a flood stage of 40 feet would cause heavy flooding on campus. The current flood stage, which is below the top of the levee, in East Baton Rouge Parish is at 32.9 feet Thursday morning. Jeff Graschel, service coordination hydrologist for the Lower Mississippi River forecast center, a branch of the NWS, said the heavy rains in the Midwest this past week are draining into the river systems and making their way down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. “Significant rainfall up in Missouri and Arkansas last week along with snow and ice melting in the North are making their way down the Mississippi River and nearing the river’s flood stage,” Graschel said. He said rainfall amounts in the Midwest ranged anywhere from five inches to more than a foot. Preparations are also being made to protect cities down the river, such as New Orleans. Mike Lowe, Emergency Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, said the current forecast for New Orleans has the river level reaching 16.5 feet on the evening of April 7, which is half a foot below flood stage in the city. He said the Corps will open the Bonnet Carré Spillway to allow the millions of gallons of water to be channeled into Lake Pontchartrain only if the water level climbs high enough to threaten New Orleans and other places downriver. “I live close to the levees in LaPlace, and if the water from the river goes over the levees,” said Rachael Maurin, English sophomore. She said she thinks the spillway needs to be opened if the water level for the river reaches its max. “Our determination on opening the spillway is determined by the amount of flow of volume coming down the river,” Lowe said. “The flood stage for New Orleans can handle 1.25 million cubic feet per second, and we don’t see that anywhere near that.” Carlton Dufrechou, executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, said they are not seeing any problems that has the river spilling over the levee system in New Orleans. “The likelihood of opening the spillway is very, very small,” Dufrechou said.
—-Contact Louis Pelletteri III at [email protected]