I've had a few people ask if we're staying dry here, so, I'll respond here.
I live just south of the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers on the kentucky side. I live on high enough ground that flooding is not an issue. Farm lands flood. Roads flood. It's normally predictable. Spring rains bring high water along rivers. But this year has not been the norm. A little bit of perspective. In 1937 Paducah flooded. The gauge on the Mississippi river at Cairo was at 59.5' that year. There wasn't any flood walls around Paducah at that time. The Cairo gauge is at 59.0' today, expecting to crest at 60.5' tuesday.
I'm reading this site right now..
http://weather.hamweather.com/rivers/gauge/CIRI2.html At 32.0 feet they call for "action", whatever that means. At 40' it calls for flood stage. At 53' a MAJOR flood. Not sure what they'll call 60'.
It never ceases to amaze me at how much water fows down this river. The Ohio flows into the Mississippi at Cairo. The Tennesee and Cumberland Rivers flow into the Ohio at Paducah. The Missouri flows into the Mississippi at St Louis. That's a LOT of runoff.
I may end up having some problem at the place on Reelfoot lake I bought last year. River is predicted to rise 4' there (It's down stream of Cairo, and below the confluence) If Reelfoot lake rises 4', I think I'd flood. I'm just sure the lake rises the same as the river. There's a small spillway between the two. I'll keep an eye on it. If I think it's going to flood, I'll at least move the furniture out. No flood insurance of course.
It'll be aight.