From the chilly lakes of Minnesota to the steaming bayous of Louisiana, the Mississippi River flows through America like a life-giving artery.

Since before the United States was even founded more than 200 years ago, the river has been a vital highway, linchpin to its survival and a gateway to the treasures that lay within the continent.

Millions of people have traversed the waterway at one time or another. The early Spanish and French explorers created a line that runs directly through Mark Twain and today’s riverboat pilots. All of them discovering, all of them building and expanding on the legends and myths that make The Mighty Muddy more than just another river.

Some legends are true. Some are false. Some fall somewhere in between. Here’s a look at a few of the common myths about the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, and where they fall on the scale.

Myth: The river and surrounding hills protect Vicksburg from tornadoes and thunderstorms

Is it true: No.

Of course it rains and storms, and occasionally there’s a tornado in Vicksburg. A strong one in 1953 killed more than 50 people when it tore through the downtown area.

For some reason, however, the worst storms seem to bypass the city. Sometimes they even appear to weaken and re-form as they pass over. The phenomenon has often been attributed to the large hills around the city and the Mississippi River, which interrupt the storm’s circulation and weaken it.

David Hartman, a meteorologist at Jackson television station WAPT since 1986, said it’s hogwash. The mile-wide river is just not large enough to affect storms on a large scale.

“I heard that when I got here 30 years ago,” he said. “Hills and a large river will not affect weather patterns.”

What happens instead, Hartman said, is that storm energy typically tracks north and east as it moves in from Texas and the plains. That track takes it away from Vicksburg and toward the Delta.

There are certain areas, he said, that tend to generate more tornadoes than normal, although the reasons for that are uncertain. The natural 30- to 60-minute life span of a thunderstorm is usually responsible for the phenomenon of storms “splitting” as they pass, he said. The rest is largely anecdotal, he said.

“Wives’ tales evolve from observations,” Hartman said. “People observe over time these things, and that’s where myths and wives’ tales come from.”

Myth: The sandbars that dot the river at low stages are extremely dangerous

Is it true: Yes.

For decades, local residents have ventured onto the sandbars that are revealed when the water recedes in summer and fall to fish and camp. Depending on where they set up, it can be a recipe for disaster.

The sandbars are created where river currents deposit sediment. While most of the bar will be thick and stable, the sands are still shifting along the edges. The closer a person gets to the water, the greater the chance the ground will literally disappear beneath their feet and suck them into the current.

“I’ve seen them cave off and seen how people can get in trouble,” said Bob Crosby, who owns and operates Blue Cat Guide Service, which leads fishing trips onto the river.

Warren County sheriff Martin Pace said the number of drownings from sandbar accidents locally has dropped in recent years, since the Mississippi River Bridge Commission and the town of Delta, La., restricted vehicle access to some of the most popular spots.

Pace added it is not illegal for people to venture out onto the sandbars, so long as they are not trespassing on private property or other restricted areas. He did recommend, however, that those who do go onto the bars exercise extreme caution.

“It’s an approach with caution situation,” Pace said. “Some sandbars are relatively stable and some are not. Know you surroundings. Don’t let children play near the edge, because if a breakaway should occur you’re maybe in 10 feet of water or 100 feet of water.”

Having sandbars collapse underfoot is not the only risk they present. For boaters, a bar that is just below the surface can cause them to run aground and cause serious injury.

Jimmy Cassell, a 63-year-old Port Gibson resident who lives along the Mississippi and fishes on it often, said the low-lying sandbars are true hazards.

“We camp on them all the time. That’s fine, as long as you get one that’s got enough height. You can’t go on one that’s too low or the water will come up on you,” Cassell said. “If you’re not on the river every day you don’t know where those are. The water gets up and over the sandbar and you’re running 40, 50 mph, you’re going to get grounded on the sandbar.”

Myth: There are car-sized, man-eating fish in the river

Is it true: No.

While there are large catfish and alligator gar in the river, and large alligators near it, the wildlife between the banks of the Mississippi River is fairly benign.

Larry Pugh, the director of fisheries for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and a Vicksburg native, said he’s often heard stories of blue catfish that are “as big as a Volkswagen.”

The state record blue catfish is only 95 pounds, however, and the largest alligator gar on record is 327 pounds. Alligators, meanwhile, only rarely enter the main channel of the river when the water is low. Gators have a hard time breathing in rough water and prefer the smoother backwaters and oxbow lakes.

“The current state record blue cat came from the Mississippi River and it was 95 pounds. That’s still a big fish, but it’s not going to eat a person,” Pugh said.

Myth: There are whirlpools on the river that can suck a boat to the bottom

Is it true: Somewhat.

Large whirlpools do exist in the Mississippi River, caused by the strong current and underwater obstacles. While they’re clearly a danger to boaters, how strong they are seems to be up for debate.

“I honestly believe if you fell out of a boat with a life preserver on it’ll suck you under. You see people on jet skis out there, and I think they’re crazy,” Cassell said.

Crosby and Pugh said people in larger boats are typically fine around whirlpools, but those in canoes and smaller boats need to exercise extreme caution.

“You need to be careful,” Pugh said. “I’ve never seen a whirlpool that will suck a boat under. But you still have to use common sense. I’ve never feared for my life, but you still have to respect it.”

One of the biggest dangers of the river’s whirlpools isn’t what’ll happen if you go into it, but what might be coming out.

Large debris such as logs are often pulled into the whirlpool’s current and dragged under the water. They can remain there as navigational hazards or, more alarmingly, escape the whirlpool and be ejected back into the river — sometimes violently. Cassell said it’s a phenomenon he’s seen several times, often when the river is at flood stage.

“When you’ve got a bunch of water coming down the Big Black (River) you’ll get logs floating down. When they hit those whirlpools, they’ll shoot several feet out of the water,” Cassell said. “If you’re in the wrong place at the right time, it’s bad news.”