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Waters Still Keeping Mississippi River Swollen

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(Image credit: NASA/GSFC)

The Lower Mississippi River remained swollen at the beginning of June 2011. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured the top image on June 1, 2011. The bottom image, from May 28, 2010, shows the river just over a year earlier.

The Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service (AHPS) of the U.S. National Weather Service reported that the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge reached 43.29 feet (13.19 meters) at 3:00 p.m. local time on June 1. This level was below the city's record flood level of 47.28 feet (14.41 meters) set in 1927. As of June 1, the water level at Baton Rouge was projected to decline slowly through June 6, but still remain at major flood stage.

(Image credit: NASA/GSFC)

As of June 1, the AHPS reported, the Mississippi River had not flooded at New Orleans.

Besides a swollen Mississippi, the image from June 1, 2011, shows some water in the Morganza Floodway west of the river. Water channeled into this floodway was visible to MODIS by May 18, 2011.

Live Science Staff
Live Science Staff
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