Mississippi flood

Mississippi flood

 

Thousands of people are being warned to prepare for the worst tonight as the Mississippi River swells to historic flood levels. Heavy rain is pushing the river's basin to its limits. That is forcing water into already swollen tributaries, and wherever else it can go.

CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann reports that the city of Memphis is preparing for the surge, and many people in the Home of the Blues see their immediate future underwater. The city's mayor has pleaded for calm, however, and said this city possibly faced a "large-scale disaster."

Around Memphis, they're building a buffer, filling sandbags, raising levees near surging waters, and getting to higher ground. The Mississippi has become a menace.