Railroad workers on Friday installed new rail ties on parts of track drying out from floodwater, while the National Weather Service predicted the Mississippi River to fall a bit slower in the coming week.

Rail service between Redwood and Vicksburg ended May 4. Trains could begin shipping vital materials to industries at the Port of Vicksburg by Monday if the 21-mile line’s stability is deemed safe.

Portions of track along Thompson Lake Road eroded as the river rose to its record 57.1-foot mark on May 19, highest since 1927. Also, crews worked this week to resurface the part of the track that runs near City Front.

Power is expected to be restored to International Paper, which relies on rail delivery, by June 17.

At Vicksburg, the river was 47.1 feet Friday evening, down 0.2 foot since Friday morning. Levels are to remain above the 43-foot flood stage until around June 18, according to an estimate by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The weather service expects the river to fall slower, dropping below official flood level around June 24.

In Warren County, 1,340 structures have been evacuated, 707 of them primary dwellings. More than 3,200 people have been displaced.

Individual assistance payouts total $4.2 million in 14 counties declared federal disaster areas due to flooding, with $682,141.12 in Warren County, FEMA has said.

The American Red Cross planned to distribute water, snacks, trash bags, paper towels and other cleanup supplies at the Vicksburg Fire Training Center today, starting at 10 a.m. Similar distributions were planned today by the organization in Wilkinson and Washington counties and Sunday in Bolivar County and at the Port Gibson Fire Station.