(Tunica County, MS) High water on the Mississippi River has people living along Tunica Lake waiting, watching and praying as they watch the water creep higher every day.
Lots of people, like Ed Miles, have their lives invested here, ”I love it. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have built back after ’11. I’ve been here since 1975, and it’s my home”.
He built back after the devastating flood of 2011, and had to build his house another six feet higher in the air to meet new building codes.
His towering castle now stands 16 feet in the air, enough to keep his more precious possessions dry, except what sits in his carport.
He and others are watching the river levels carefully, ”Well, we were told it was gonna crest at 35 feet on the Memphis gauge, then they dropped it to 32. Now they’re saying they raised it to 33. One foot makes a lot of difference to us.”
Because a foot means the difference in being able to get out of your home, or remaining trapped for days.
Miles says with the river being so unpredictable, he’s not taking any chances, ”I’m looking at taking my stuff out, ‘cause I think it’ll probably go higher when what they’re predicting. It usually does.”
After the flooding they’ve seen up north, folks here are already pulling up stakes.
Some folks aren’t taking any chances, they’ve already moved out, while lots of others make plans to follow their lead.
