Pat in Shreveport is watching the Mississippi flooding

Update: The first gate of the Moranza spillway was opened Saturday afternoon with plans to open more on Sunday causing flooding of downstream property that could end up under up to 25 feet of water.
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Living in Virginia, it's easy to skip over the news of devastating flooding along the Mississippi River. However, it's heart-breaking to see our neighbors to the south dealing with life-changing weather-related destruction now occurring during the historic Flood of 2011.

Pat lives in Shrevesport and, while she's safely on dry land, she notes with sadness how difficult it is to see parts of her state go underwater:

Here in northwestern Louisiana, I'm safely removed from the flooding, but it doesn't hurt any less as I watch my state go under water.

Check out her updates and maps.

Difficult decisions are being made. If the Morganza spillway is opened, thousands upon thousands of acres of land will be flooded as well as homes, crops, and towns. Some will be sacrificed to lessen the devastation of others in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

The worst flood in recorded history was 1927 and it has been the benchmark to measure all others. Educated opinions are that this time it will be worse than 1927. Farmers have harvested what they can but much has to be left behind because of lack of time and will be washed away by the waters.

The Morganza spillway was expected to be opened Saturday afternoon at 3:00, releasing the wall of water. The trigger for releasing water over the spillway was 1.5 million cubic feet of water per second flowing by the Red River Landing.

A century-old levee failed on Friday, flooding 10,000 acres of farmland in Louisiana as Governor Bobby Jindal flew over the area.

Check out The Dead Pelican for updates.

Pray for our fellow Americans....

Cross-posted at Bearing Drift