MORGANZA — Officials in Pointe Coupee Parish are urging drivers to be extra careful driving on Highway 1 through the Morganza Spillway with deer coming out due to the rising water.
“They need to be very aware of deer running around and across the highway. There have been two vehicle accidents with deer already in the daytime today,” Pointe Coupee Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux told UWK.
The rising Mississippi River is sending water over the potato levee and filling up the forebay (flood bay) in Morganza by the control structure, Sheriff Thibodeaux said.
The rising water has deer running across Highway 1 more than usual.
There were two reported crashes on Friday, April 18 involving deer and vehicles.
Sheriff Thibodeaux is concerned as the sun goes down, more deer will be out through the night.
“Anyone traveling to Marksville or from Marksville on Highway 1, just north of Morganza, they need to go very slow and be very alert,” the sheriff added.
The experimental 28-day forecast from the NWS and the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center shows the river continuing to rise in New Orleans through much of April, State Climatologist Jay Grymes said. That could trigger what’s known as Flood Fight Phase 1, initiated when the Carrollton Gage reaches 11 feet. Phase 2 could follow by the end of the month if levels hit 15 feet.
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
Support UWK and its mission to deliver The News You Deserve. Unfiltered. Become a monthly patron on Patreon today!
