YAZOO COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Jerry Childs says the water on his friend Scotty Haynes' corn crops across Carter Road in Yazoo County has crept up considerably since Tuesday.
"Yesterday it was 200 yards back yonder so it's coming on in pretty quick," Childs says. "If it crests tomorrow there's a chance maybe we won't get over three feet around the back of the house."
To protect his own property, this week Childs hired outside help to build a five-foot-tall dirt levee.
He's paying $100 an hour to get it done, and he hopes every cent will be worth it.
The dirt has been carved out of his own property, and farmer Haynes' property as well.
"He told me to dig what I had to dig, don't worry about it, dig it up. He's a real nice boy, good farmer," Childs says. "He works somewhere around 10,000 acres of land. He's gonna lose 2-3,000 acres of wheat."
Driving along Highway 49 in Yazoo and Humphreys Counties seems more like driving along a beach front road.
Yazoo River backwater is drowning out crops.
It could get worse if the backwater levee gives way, but it's not expected to.
In Rolling Fork, they're taking precautions just in case.
Inmates have filled countless thousands of sandbags to put around government buildings and vital utilities.
They also plan to hand them out to families.
"If (the backwater levee) holds, I don't think we'll have any problem. We might get some water in the farm land, but I don't think it will go up in Rolling Fork," said Sharkey County District 3 Supervisor Samuel Mathews.
Copyright 2011 WLBT. All rights reserved.
WLBT 3 - Fox 40
