A couple of days ago I asked, what 48′ means. I still can’t really say for sure, but it now includes the evacuation of 1000 homes.
Officials are distributing the flyers by hand. Beware, there have been fake flyers up.
Always be sure to ask anyone distributing flyers about evacuations to identify themselves. The Mayor emphasized, these are not mandatory evacuation notices.
That said, common sense should tell you that if you decide to stay, you may be on your own for a while
As it stands now, the river is at 46 feet. That’s still below the projected crest. That means that the area covered by the flood will expand greatly in the coming days. Forecasts say that the river could stay at that level for 4 to 8 days after cresting. If you are evacuating, I suggest you prepare for that much time away.
There are reports of 2 feet of flooding at Watkins and Hwy 51. All of Riverside Dr. is now closed.
Images of Riverside Drive at Beale St., showing the first stages of flooding in that area surfaced earlier today. I have no way of knowing how much higher it will get down there, but remember, the majority of Beale is on much higher ground that at Riverside.
The Mayor noted that both the water and fuel supplies in the City are safe despite reports or rumors to the contrary.
He also noted that the City has backup power for pumping stations should the need arise.
The Memphis/Shelby County Emergency Management Agency has all the road closures and other critical information.
Fox 13 just reported Raleigh Springs Mall will serve as a flood staging area and help center.
In other news, the Tennessee Highway Patrol has activated their flood assistance team.
There are so many information sources out there that it’s hard to get a handle on all of them.
The Mississippi River has been closed to commercial traffic. A very large section of I-40 in Arkansas has also been closed.
If you are not sure that you are in the 100 year flood plane, check the Shelby County Register site. Type in your address, check the FEMA box at the bottom of the form and hit enter.
If you’re near the 100 year flood plane, you need to have an emergency kit ready should the waters threaten your home.
If you’re interested in helping with the flood preparations, call EMA at 901. 515.2584.
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