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LAKE PROVIDENCE, La. (AP) - In Louisiana's rural northeast corner, crews are working to shore up a Mississippi River levee that protects about 12,000 acres of farmland.
The river has been stressing the structure for days as it rises to record levels.
State agriculture secretary Mike Strain said the acreage - mostly corn and soybeans worth more than $12 million - could go
under water if the levee is breached in the next few days.
The levee, in thinly populated East Carroll Parish, was replaced
some years ago as the primary flood defense with a larger structure
set farther back from the river.
Meanwhile, in New Orleans, sandbags were placed Wednesday along
a portion of the French Quarter riverfront to guard against
shoreline erosion. The river is expected to crest May 23 at New
Orleans.