The Flood of 2019 (Part 2), the Yazoo Backwater near Redwood, Mississippi

This is Part 2 of our article about the 2019 flood in west central Mississippi. In the previous article, we covered the inundation in the area around Vicksburg, which is directly affected by the level of the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. Here we will look at the flooding that occurred north of the Steele Bayou flood gates.

Yazoo Backwater (from NOAA)

The Yazoo Backwater is the area of the Mississippi Delta that is north of the Steele Bayou floodgate. As I wrote in the previous article, if heavy rail has fallen in west central Mississippi, the water heads south through creeks and bayous, eventually into the Yazoo River and then to the Mississippi River. But levees line the Yazoo River, and if the Mississippi River elevation is high, the US Army Corps of Engineers closes the Steele Bayou gates and the local drainage has no way to escape into the Yazoo River. The result is varying degree of inundation in the area shown in gray on the map.

MS route 465 just west of US 61, Redwood, Mississippi, March 13, 2019 (Kodak Ektar 25 film, 250mm Sonnar lens)

Eagle lake is an oxbow lake in the southern part of the Yazoo Backwater. It is the blue crescent at the lower left in the gray area. The residents were told to evacuate in January. But many decided to stay in their homes and tried to hold back water with sandbags. One of my friends lives there and said convicts were brought in to help with sandbagging. She cooked meals for all the workers.

Hunting camp on stilts off US 61 near MS 465 turnoff, March 14, 2019 (50mm Distagon lens)

In March, this elevated mobile home was visible from a dirt road, but now the foliage is too thick.

Hendricks Lane off Floweree Road, March 14, 2019 (80mm Planar lens)

Farm shed, Perry Circle off Floweree Road, Redwood (photograph from former railroad embankment, 80mm Planar lens)

Morning Star MB Church, Floweree Road (80mm Planar lens, polarizer)

Tree trunk, Floweree Road, March 15, 2019 (80mm Planar lens, polarizer)

Floweree Road is a U-shaped road that takes off from US 61 just north of the turnoff for MS 465. It was an interesting road to bicycle in January because of the water all around. We saw a dead boar being eaten by vultures. Presently (June 6, 2019) Floweree Road is completely inundated and impassible by cars. All the scenes above are at least 1-2 ft deeper in the water now. The railroad once ran near Floweree Road, and many farmers parked farm equipment up on the embankment.

House and flooded car, US 61, Redwood, March 29, 2019 (Fuji Acros 100 film, Voigtländer Vito BL camera, 50mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar lens, yellow filter)

Inundated house, US 61, Redwood, March 29, 2019 (Acros film, Vito BL, GGr filter)

Mobile home and almost-safe vehicles, US 61, Redwood, March 29, 2019 (Acros film, Vito BL, GGr filter)

Cars parked along US 61 for safety, near Floweree Road, Redwood (Acros film, Vito BL camera)

Farm off US 61 near Floweree Road, Rdwood (Acros film, Vito BL, yellow filter)

This has been a quick look at the scene off US 61 (the Blues Highway) near Redwood, Mississippi. I will continue this 2019 flood topic the next article.