Memphis flooding intensifies but Graceland safe from onslaught

Memphis flooding reached near historic-high levels yesterday as authorities tried to evacuate as many people as possible out of harm's way.

Farmers along the river built makeshift barriers in a bid to prevent flood waters from inundating their crops. City engineers meanwhile had to divert water into a lake to soften the blow on levees and minimize the impact of the Memphis flooding.

Some inmates had to be transferred to another facility on higher ground. Low-lying neighborhoods were flooded but the city's landmarks such as Graceland were spared.

Officials and residents trust that levees would hold and that the worst Memphis flooding has already occurred but it was not as hopeful for residents further south in the Mississippi Delta.

Some residents said the area hadn't experienced this much flooding since the great flood of 1927. Farmers are resigned to the idea that they will be losing their crops before they can be harvested. Even their dwellings may not be safe from the deluge.

Makeshift levees can only do so much to fend off the flow of water and hundreds of homes are being submerged or swept away by the Memphis flooding.

City officials and business owners tried to downplay the catastrophe, declaring "business as usual" and citing that famous city landmarks such as Elvis Presley's Graceland Estate, Sun Studio and Beale Street were not affected. The FedEx Forum arena in downtown Memphis also went ahead with the playoff game between the hometown Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After the worst Memphis flooding in many decades, residents and officials will now have to turn their attention to cleaning up the mess and rebuilding.