Mississippi Flooding 2011

  • Released Thursday, May 19th, 2011
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:53PM
  • ID: 10773

Heavy spring rains and snowmelt led to devastating floods along the Mississippi River in May 2011. Landsat 5 flew over the Mississippi River on May 10, 2011, giving a distinct view of the extraordinary extent of the flooding. This was only eight days after the Army Corps of Engineers began blasting holes in earthen levees near Cairo, Illinois, when the river reached a depth of 61 feet.

The extent of the 2011 flooding is compared with the same locations in April 2010.

Satellite imagery of the 2011 flooding along the Mississippi River compared with imagery from 2010. Shows high resolution images from Landsat 5 of Cairo, Illinois, and Memphis, Tennessee.

To prevent flooding in Cairo, Illinois, the US Army Corps of Engineers blasted a two-mile hole in the levee to let the waters flow into the New Madrid Floodway.

Near Memphis Tennessee, flood waters crested at 48 feet, only inches below the record high level of the 1937 floods.

No narration, just music.

Very large still image of Mississippi River on May 10, 2011, combining several scenes from Landsat 5. Spans parts of several states: Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Runs from north of Cairo, Illinois, to Rosedale, Mississippi. Includes some annotations.

Very large still image of Mississippi River on May 10, 2011, combining several scenes from Landsat 5. Spans parts of several states: Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Runs from north of Cairo, Illinois, to Rosedale, Mississippi. Includes some annotations.

Very large still image of Mississippi River on April 21, 2010, combining several scenes from Landsat 5. Spans parts of several states: Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Runs from north of Cairo, Illinois, to Rosedale, Mississippi. Includes some annotations.

Very large still image of Mississippi River on April 21, 2010, combining several scenes from Landsat 5. Spans parts of several states: Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Runs from north of Cairo, Illinois, to Rosedale, Mississippi. Includes some annotations.

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Individual Landsat scenes were combined by Jesse Allen of the NASA Earth Observatory. The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Missions

This visualization is related to the following missions:

Tapes

This visualization originally appeared on the following tapes:
  • Mississippi River 2011 Flooding (ID: 2011062)
    Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 4:00AM
    Produced by - Walt Feimer