Shelter opens at church

River traffic limited by Coast Guard

Rising waters made it to Ford subdivison this morning, forcing several people from their homes and, separately has led the U.S. Coast Guard to impose new restrictions on southbound commercial traffic on the Mississippi River.

Mary Jenkins, who said last week she was watching a ditch near her home and believed she’d be OK, was one of many people who packed up belongings on Williams Street and headed for higher ground. Water was over Williams Street this morning, making it impassable, and creeping toward Ford Street.

The river at Vicksburg measured 45.5 feet at 7 a.m., a rise of 0.6 foot in 24 hours. The forecast crest was pushed back twice in the past two days by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center, but remained today at 46.5 feet on Sunday. Flood stage at the city is 43 feet.

A short-term, temporary shelter was opened at 10 a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church on Warriors Trail by the Red Cross and Salvation Army, and by late this morning eight people had been taken there, said Red Cross Emergency Services Director Janice Sawyer.

Deputy Police Chief Richard O’Bannon said 13 people had left their homes in the area and more were likely to leave during the day.

The Coast Guard’s restrictions on southbound tows were imposed not long after Monday night’s barge accident in Vicksburg at the U.S. 80 bridge — the second in less than a week.

“In Vicksburg, Greenville and Memphis, we are restricting vessel traffic through the bridges to daylight transit only,” said Lt. Teresa Hatfield, supervisor of the Coast Guard marine safety detachment in Vicksburg. “This means if a tow is approaching any of the bridges in the dark, they’ll have to pull aside and wait until daylight.”

Hatfield said the restrictions were being imposed due to swirling currents, which increase the difficulty of lining up tows to shoot the gaps between piers.

A restriction on the number of barges a tow can push through Vicksburg has been in effect for about a week. The restriction is relative to the horsepower of the tow, with 280-horsepower required per barge pushed.

Just before midnight Monday the southbound Ray A. Eckstein pushed a load of 25 barges into Pier 4 of the U.S. 80 bridge, scattering the entire load and sinking one barge loaded with coiled steel. No one was injured in the accident. Two of the 25 barges were empty; the others were filled with steel or grain.

Using sonar technology, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District and the U.S. Coast Guard located the sunken barge around 11 a.m. Tuesday. About 500 yards off the river’s eastern bank, the barge came to rest with 90 feet of water above its highest point off the river bottom, said Corps public affairs officer Frank Worley.

“It’s not too far from the barge that sank last week,” said Hatfield. “It’s not posing a navigational hazard right now, and it shouldn’t even when the river comes down. It’s in a deeper spot of the river than we normally find out there.”

The river channel was closed until about noon Tuesday, when it reopened with the new restrictions in effect. Hatfield said the restriction will be in effect until river levels crest and subside in the affected cities. Memphis is expected to crest today and Greenville is forecast to crest Friday.

The U.S. 80 bridge at Vicksburg was struck a week ago today by the MV Keith Darling, southbound with a load of 30 corn barges. Vicksburg-based Big River Ship Builders & Salvage has been contracted by St. Louis-based AEP River Operations, owner of the MV Keith Darling, to salvage that barge, said project manager Hugh Smith.

“We’ve been looking at it every day with radar and planning the salvage, but we’re going to have to let that river come down and have the current slow some before it’s safe to move forward,” said Smith.

He said Big River has also been contacted by Paducah, Ky.-based Marquette Transportation Company, owner of the Ray A. Eckstein, about salvaging the sunken barge in Monday’s accident, but has not been contracted. Salvaging the barge filled with coiled steel will prove a much more difficult process than the one with corn, he added.

“In many instances we jettison the cargo during the salvage. In the case of the one filled with corn, the cargo has already washed out of the barge, ” Smith said. “However, the value of the steel in the latest barge to sink may require us to make an effort to salvage the cargo, if that’s what the company wants. I don’t know exactly what it’s worth, but it’s obviously very valuable.”

Mississippi RiverCREST FORECAST46.5 feet on SundayTODAY’S STAGE:45.5 feetROSE:0.6 footFLOOD STAGE:43 feetFlooding infoVicksburg and Warren County are under a flood warning. Affected areas include Ford Road, Hutson Street (200 block), Williams Street, Hardin Road, Browns Alley, Railroad Alley, Eva Street, Youngs Alley, Round Alley, Water Well Road, Randle Street, Rankin Alley, Thompson Lake Road, Kings Crossing (100 block and greater), Falk Steel Road (200 block, even numbered addresses). Nonresidential areas of Jackson Street, Main Street, and Hardin Road are currently flooded. Other areas currently affected are Jackson Lane, Pittman Road (400 block), Chickasaw Road (80 block and greater), Chickasaw Lane (outside city), and Chickasaw Drive (outside city).Updated river forecasts are available on the Internet at www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfcUpdated local flood information is available by calling the City of Vicksburg Temporary Emergency Flood Update line at 601-801-3443Those with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the City of Vicksburg Action Line at 601-636-3411.Barge accidentsMarch 31, 2008 — A 25-barge tow hits Pier 4 and one barge sinks and is believed to be near Rainbow Casino.March 26, 2008 – A 30-barge tow hits Pier 4 and one barge sinks near Rainbow Casino before the others are rounded up.Oct. 3, 2007 — A 42-barge tow breaks up about a mile north of the bridges and several strike the bridge.Feb. 1, 2007 – A fuel barge ignites after hitting a pier, breaks away and careens downriver.2006 – A barge carrying soybean and steel scrapes Pier 3.2005 – In 10 days, barges hit the bridges in three accidents