Dredgers Document the Mississippi Flood May 10 and 12: Vicksburg Baton Rouge and New Orleans

Vicksburg May 10. The swirls and eddies in the Mississippi River are visible in this photo Dr. Robert Engler took at Vicksburg at 8 a.m. on May 10. The river was at 52 feet with five more feet to crest. This is looking upstream from the Vicksburg Bluffs at the casino at waters edge. “This is the largest flood on record it is amazing” Dr. Engler said.
See related article and photo on page 35.

Baton Rouge May 12. Looking downstream north of the bridge the river is at 43.1 feet – 13 feet above bank full and expected to crest on May 22 at 47.5 feet. Kim Dailey of Teledyne Odom took time out to take this photo at 12:24. The river is about a half mile from the company’s offices. “We will be OK as long as the levee holds” she said. Carts were delivering sandbags which should be stacked up high enough to protect against the highest stage on May 22. The ship is the destroyer USS Kidd (DD-661) the “Pirate of the Pacific” moored permanently in Baton Rouge. On May 13 Dailey wrote: “The levee at East and West Baton Rouge is now closed to civilians. Good thing I went up there yesterday.”