Extreme Mississippi Flood from Space

The flood crest of 47.87 feet on 10th May is the second highest rise in recent history; the highest being 48.7 feet in 1937. The Mississippi River crest continues to move south and to occur in the Greenville, MS., area around 16th May to finally crest in New Orleans around 23rd May.

When natural hazards like flooding occur, USGS provides the most recent Landsat data to local emergency managers. "Landsat imagery is crucial in helping to monitor the flood rate and effects of the flooding in the region, and to aid in the decision-making process regarding flood control. Decisions such as closing portions of the Mississippi River to shipping and opening flood gates outside of low-lying New Orleans in preparation to the flood wave as it makes its way slowly down the river to the Gulf of Mexico," said Mark Anderson, acting director of the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center.

Remotely sensed data are one example of the science endeavors occurring due to floods. The USGS collects river data through its network of about 7,700 stream gages around the Nation. You can receive instant, customised updates about water conditions, including flooding, by subscribing to USGS WaterAlert (http://water.usgs.gov/wateralert).

You've listed the wrong states for that image - everything west of the river seems to be Arkansas and much of the area shown east of the river is Mississippi, with a small amount of Tennessee, including Memphis, occupying the northern 20% or so. bwittchen - 18/05/2011 - 19:20