State officials are bracing to prepare for possible flooding as the Mississippi River threatens to overflow its banks.
Gov. Bobby Jindal convened the heads of several state agencies Thursday afternoon as communities farther north struggle to deal with the swelling river.
“We have all seen the flooding in the Dakotas, Minnesota and other locations in the Upper Mississippi River system and know that the river levels are projected to rise above historic levels in some areas,” Jindal said. “Which is why we held this UCG meeting today — so we could identify resources and ready them in the event of an emergency.”
Jindal issued a state of emergency while urging nine state agencies to get ready to contain the rising water.
This is the second state of emergency Jindal has issued in as many days — the governor issued one Wednesday as part of the severe weather system that spawned thunderstorms and tornadoes, wrecking huge swaths of the South.
The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness’ Crisis Action Team remains open from the previous order.
The Louisiana National Guard, State Police, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Coastal Management, Department of Children and Family Services and Department of Health and Hospitals are all on standby.
More than 1.8 million sandbags and 5,175 shelter positions have been opened in anticipation of widespread flooding.
Communities farther north are struggling as tributaries dump more than twice as much water into the Mississippi, according to a news release from the administration.
The release says it usually takes about two weeks for water to make it from the tributaries to Louisiana.
 
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Contact Matthew Albright at [email protected]