The Mississippi River may have reached its highest level in Memphis but the “ominous pool of water” depicted on national television was located in only a tiny area, say tourism officials.
“Beale, FedEx Forum and our major downtown hotels are all open and operating at capacity. The airport and our conference and convention facilities are operating at capacity. Restaurant and attractions are ready for visitors … and the weather is perfect,” said Kevin Kane, president of the Memphis CVB in a memo.
He said residents have watched in amazement at national media coverage of the event which found near record water levels in several southern states.
“Just to set the record straight, 98% of our community is dry, water-free and open for business,” said the Kane memo.
Some smaller and rural areas in Southern states will faced some flood problems Thursday but major tourist attractions such as Memphis are getting back to normal.
Kane added all hotels and attractions throughout the city are open “with absolutely no threat of being impacted by the Mississippi River.”
The river reached its peak at almost 48 inches, reported the AP, but it is now dropping generally. Several hundred people in Southern states chose to go to shelters.
Even residents of the Memphis area have seen little impact from the flood, however.
“Fewer than one percent of Memphis households have been affected by rising waters and less than 20 percent of the City’s land area. Most affected are outlying communities, where some residences have been built in flood plains of the Mississippi’s tributary rivers,” Kane said.
By David Wilkening
