I took this photo last night in the River Park along Shepard road. The Mississippi river has risen one foot since I took it and will crest sometime over the weekend. We had a little flooding last year but the river is already as high as it was when in crested in 2009. They are getting ready to close Shepard road near downtown. The last I heard the river has risen 11.4 feet and will crest at 18 feet. Boat launches have been closed and the river has been closed for recreational boating. For those who remember the flood of 1965 the river crested at 26 feet.
I put a little arrow in this picture so you can see how close to housing the water will come. The housing is just up above the railing. Many years ago there was housing along the river but it was wiped out by floods. When the area was rebuilt ten years ago tons of dirt was brought in and the area was raised above the flood plain. Some of the river watchers I saw last night were concerned.
They are in the process of closing down the park right now and are asking people to stay away from the river. The current is very strong with chunks of ice and debris floating by at motor boat speeds. I may try to get some more photos later today or tomorrow but I will take them from a bridge or from the river bluff. There were some pictures on the news this morning but they were taken in the dark from Harriet Island so all we could really see was a railing.
