Mississippi Flooding Harms Agriculture in Several US States

May 18, 2011

A worker from ABL Fabricators, L.L.C. walks along a temporary levee system set up along the Bayou Boeuf waterway in Amelia, Louisiana, May 17, 2011

Flooding along the Mississippi River has ruined crops, damaged farmland and delayed barge traffic in parts of the southern United States. Officials say diversion of some of the water through spillways in Louisiana, though, eventually will ease the flow and help speed the return to normalcy. Closings of some sections of the river are considered only temporary

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The U.S. Coast Guard has shut some small stretches of the Mississippi River to barge traffic in recent days and has allowed only one barge at a time to pass through the stretch of river near Vidalia, Louisiana, where levees are close to being topped. The passage of the barges produces a wake that can cause water to splash over the levees, making local residents anxious about their property.

The temporary measures, however, have not had a significant effect on barge traffic or on ship operations farther downriver. At the Port of Louisiana, north of New Orleans, ships loaded with grain have come downstream from farm areas in the Midwest and nearby southern states for international delivery. Much of America's grain harvest will come down the river in the coming months after the flood waters subside.

The Port of New Orleans has had few disruptions to its operations, according to spokesman Chris Bonura.