WARREN COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
The water is rising at an alarming rate near homes in the Green Meadows subdivision and businesses off of Highway 61 south. Instead of waiting for their businesses to be flooded about a dozen men are doing something about it.
"We feel like we have a shot to stop this water from getting into these two subdivisions and all these businesses," said Electro Mechanical Solutions owner Brad Davidson.
After receiving technical assistance from the Corps of Engineers, the business owners discovered they need to raise the old railroad track about a foot to serve as a three mile long levee.
"Moving dirt, hauling dirt in, spreading it out, packing it so it won't come over," said John Carlisle of the project.
They're using their own resources and money, about $40,000 in the last two weeks.
"We've got some pumps located to keep the water out. We got more pumps coming in Monday, but we need some kind of assistance," said Davidson.
Help came Saturday morning from county work crews. "We were able to get some of our people, which is real hard to do on the weekend, to pull some people in to help out in the flood fight," said Warren County Board of Supervisors District 4 Supervisor Bill Lauderdale.
It was a race against water. If they finish this work and if the Mississippi River crests at 57.5 feet at Vicksburg as expected a couple neighborhoods and a dozen businesses can be saved.
"If everybody will pray that it will stay dry and not rain for a couple two to three weeks maybe it will work and I hope it will," said Lauderdale.
©2011 WLBT. All rights reserved.
WLBT 3 - Fox 40
