Photos: NASA releases latest pictures of Mississippi River Flooding from Space (PHOTOS)
By IBTimes Staff Reporter | May 16, 2011 01:36 AM EDT
Heavy spring rains have flooded most rivers in the U.S. heartland from the Dakotas to Ohio, feeding near-record crests on the lower Mississippi River.
According to National Weather Service, the major tributaries of Mississippi River, including the White River, the Arkansas River and Big Black River may be impacted by the river’s main stem flooding.
As U.S. Army engineers opened on Saturday a key spillway to spare New Orleans and Louisiana's capital Baton Rouge from the Mississippi River flooding, thousands of residents of small Louisiana towns are bracing for the worst.
The increasing water level could leave the region’s homes and agricultural fields under as much as 20 feet of water, Reuters reported.
Check out images below, as we update with the latest photos of heavily flooded agricultural fields on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River, captured by NASA crew from the International Space Station, 220 miles above Earth and the Mississippi River.
Also view: Latest pictures of slowly rising Mississippi floodwaters around Memphis
An Expedition 27 crew member aboard the International Space Station, 220 miles above Earth and the Mississippi River, captured this May 12 still photo, clearly showing the outlines of some heavily flooded agricultural fields on the Missouri side of the river. The center point for this 400-mm frame is 36.27 degrees north latitude and 89.57 degrees west longitude (north of Caruthersville, Mo. and west of Ridgely, Tenn.). North is towards the lower right corner of the image.
Source: NASA
Parts of two states highly impacted by recent flooding of the Mississippi River, are pictured in this International Space Station image featuring an area east of Blytheville, Ark., off the right side of the image. Center point coordinates are located at 35.8 degrees north latitude and 89.7 degrees west longitude The areas of Ruckers Place, Tenn. and Tomato, Ark. are surrounded by water, while Barfield, Ark. is still dry behind the levee on the right side of the image. North is toward the bottom of the photo.
Source: NASA
An Expedition 27 crew member recorded this image aboard the International Space Station as the orbital outpost was passing over the Mississippi River flood waters from 220 miles above. North is toward the bottom of the image, which was captured using a 400-mm lens. This highly impacted area, centered near 36.6 degrees north latitude and 89.5 degrees west longitude, is just east of New Madrid, Mo. (visible in upper right). Levees appear to be intact, but there is extensive lowland crop flooding.
Source: NASA
