By Message Staff
VIDALIA – Residents of Vidalia, Natchez, Miss., surrounding communities and parishes came together to plea with God to spare them from widespread damage from the rapidly rising floodwaters of the Mississippi River. And it appears God has answered their plea.
Held on Jan. 10 at the Vidalia Conference and Convention Center, the Miss-Lou Community Prayer Gathering drew several hundred pastors, laymen and business leaders for a time of prayer and intercession for the community and state. Scripture reading and singing were also part of the afternoon.
Bill McCullin, pastor of First Baptist Church in Vidalia, was encouraged by the response of attendees from not just Southern Baptist churches but other denominations.
“Just seeing so many different denominations and churches in so many parishes come together to pray and seek Him was a blessing,” McCullin said. “It took rising waters to bring the community together.”
The last time McCullin recalls the community coming together for a time of prayer was in 2011, when the town saw its riverfront flooded by the Mississippi River. The record crest was 61.95 feet on May 19, 2011, and took weeks to recede.
He believes the community learned from that incident.
“It’s a different story this go around,” McCullin said. “People aren’t panicking this time and we get better news every day. What happened in 2011 has not been forgotten.”
Josh Morea, pastor of First Baptist Church in Ferriday, said the room had an atmosphere of relief, celebration and thankfulness.
“Everyone was united in prayer for one purpose, which was to seek the Lord about the river,” Morea said. “It was a celebration that the worst was already over and had God heard and answered our prayers. We were thanking God for intervening in this situation.”
According to the National Weather Service, the Mississippi River is expected to reach a crest of 57 feet at Vidalia around 6 am on Jan. 17. The original forecast at one time was 60 feet, 12 feet above flood stage.
The city has been erecting barricades of 15-foot-long earth-filled Hesco baskets to protect riverfront businesses and water wells outside the main levee should flooding occur.
The Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office voiced optimism during the most recent report on its website.
“Good News again,” the statement read. “The National Weather Service has lowered the crest forecast for the Mississippi River at Natchez. They now predict a crest of 57 feet on Jan. 17. That is down 3 feet from the original forecast and down 1 foot from yesterday’s forecast.”
Further south, officials have determined they may not have to open the Morganza Spillway.
According to a press release from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, while the water is high it has not triggered a need to open the control structure. According to the release the operational trigger for the Morganza Control Structure is when river levels reach 57 feet at the structure and a forecast flow of 1.5 million cubic feet per second and rising.
Current forecasts show the river height is expected to reach 57 feet at the structure as of Jan. 15. However, the projected peak flow rate will only be 1.44 million cubic feet per second on Jan. 17. The Corp believes this rate of flow is within the design capacity of the Mississippi River levees between the Morganza Floodway and the Bonnet Carre Spillway.
“The Mississippi River and Tributaries project allows the Corps to undertake an MR&T systems approach to managing Mississippi River high-water events,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Wehr, commanding general, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division. “The latest information indicates the river crest can be safely passed through south Louisiana without operation of the Morganza Control Structure.”
