LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Tenn. — The northern counties are preparing for the worst as the Mississippi River water levels continue to rise.
People in Lauderdale County, in particular, are worried this flood could rival the flooding of 2011 and cause major damage.
Don Holcomb has lived down by the Mississippi River in rural Lauderdale County his whole life, and in that time, he has seen his fair share of floods.
But few compare to what he sees coming now.
So with recent heavy rainfall and the water levels rising, he said people are getting prepared.
Most have homes on stilts, and farmers are working to get their equipment moved to higher ground.
County Mayor Maurice Gaines has been talking with the EMA director daily and said the river will reach its peak level in about a week.
“The 8th or the 9th is when they’re projecting our crest,” he said.
He expecting it to be just as bad, if not worse than previous floods.
“It’s getting pretty close. I think for the most part all of our bottom land will be covered, underwater, from what we call the bluff to the Mississippi River.”
Gaines urges people to take precautions and never assume things aren’t as bad as they look.
“Plan ahead. The water is coming. You know it’s coming. Get your belongings, and get to higher ground.”
Officials also warn people to never drive across a road that has water across it.