Dual crises: Virus, flooding on Miss.

Communities that run the gamut of the ‘Mighty Mississippi' River are preparing for dual crises: Coronavirus and the risks of spring flooding. East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome expects a fight on both fronts. “We must address both impacts,” she told NOLA.com The National Weather Service has predicted moderate flooding on much of the river, but likely major flooding in Iowa and Illinois. In Louisiana, NWS anticipates moderate flooding from Arkansas to LaPlace, where the Bonnet Carre Spillway may be used to divert floodwaters into Lake Pontchartrain. Above-average rainfall is likely in the lower Mississippi River Basin that may strain New Orleans' municipal drainage system, which does not flow into the Mississippi. Government and emergency responders are already being stretched thin by the coronavirus, which has shut down all but essential services, crippled the economy, and killed 46 people in Louisiana as of March 24. “I pray every day that we don’t end up in a state of anarchy,” said Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant. (Source: NOLA.com 03/25/20) https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_449d29d4-6d58-11ea-8fe3-7320d9de6f49.html The Bonnet Carre Spillway was opened twice in 2019 for a record 123 days, releasing trillions of gallons of river water and causing $215M in damage to the Mississippi Sound, fisheries and the seafood industry.