MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is currently in Phase II floodfight status due to high river stages on the Mississippi and St. Francis Rivers. The Phase II floodfight areas are Cairo, Missouri, Reelfoot-Obion, and Lower St. Francis.
During this Phase II floodfight, 36 Memphis District employees are each day patrolling and intensively monitoring Federal flood control works such as levees, floodwalls, and relief wells. The District is also aiding local flood control organizations with their floodfighting efforts by providing technical advice and items like portable pumps, sandbags, and plastic sheeting.
Deployed floodfight personnel are supported by additional employees working at the USACE Emergency Operations Center at the District Headquarters office in Memphis.
The White River Area in Arkansas remains in Phase I floodfight status. Memphis District personnel are monitoring all Federal flood control works. They are also monitoring rainfall amounts and National Weather Service forecasts to determine if further action is warranted.
Citizens are strongly encouraged to stay in touch with their local authorities and emergency management officials for updates on conditions in their areas. The Memphis District will deploy additional personnel and resources as required to help protect lives and property.
The USACE Division headquarters in Vicksburg, Miss, is coordinating all floodfight activities in the Mississippi Valley. The USACE Emergency Operations Center in Memphis is directing all floodfight activities in its boundary in partnership with the affected states, levee districts, and other local interest groups.
The Federal flood control works in the Mississippi Valley protect many thousands of homes, millions of lives and vast tracts of fertile cropland. The Memphis District’s flood control system has prevented more than $4.3 billion in flood damages and protected more than five million acres of cropland in the last decade alone.
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Release no. 19-001