Market Matters Blog

As the rains began last week in the Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi river valleys and kept coming through the weekend, the Ohio River in Cincinnati reached major flood stage and its highest level since February 2018. As of 11 a.m. CDT on Monday, the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati was at 60.47 feet and expected to rise to 60.70 feet by Monday night. Should the river reach that level, it will break the record of 60.60 feet set in 1936.

As the Ohio River heads southwest, the last stop is at Cairo, Illinois, where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi River. At 11 a.m. on Monday, the Ohio River at Cairo was at 50.28 feet according to the NWS and is expected to move above major flood stage by Thursday, April 10.

Because of the flooding, barge traffic is hampered and, in some areas, stalled. Loading stations are unable to load barges because the water is too high for the barge to safely fit under the loading spout. The flooding also affects the locks to safely allow barges to pass through.

The U.S. Coast Guard has implemented the following lock closures and restrictions on the Ohio River, according to American Commercial Barge Line. Locks along the Ohio River have implemented daylight only restrictions and others will be closed to ensure safety and prevent damage. This will affect navigation and cause delays in transit.

-- Racine Lock (OR237) has daylight only restrictions for southbound traffic as of 4/07.

-- Markland Lock & Dam (OR530) has suspended locking as of 4/06.

-- McAlpine Lock & Dam (OR606) have suspended locking as of 4/06.

-- Newburgh Lock & Dam (OR776) has suspended locking as of 4/06.

-- Smithland Lock & Dam (OR918) could close early next week, which would halt all transit into the Ohio River.

"The situation is rapidly evolving as additional rains continue. There will be another industry call on Monday to discuss additional closures and how this will affect the Cairo area and Lower Mississippi region. Expect immediate and major impacts to all areas from the Upper Ohio to Baton Rouge. Our team is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates as conditions change," said ACBL.

So far, in the Lower Mississippi River, the level at Memphis is forecast to go above minor flood stage of 34 feet by Thursday, April 10. The Mississippi River at Vicksburg is expected to go above minor flood stage of 43 feet by Friday, April 11. The Mississippi River at Baton Rouge is expected to pass minor flood stage of 35 feet by Sunday, April 13, and head toward major flood stage.

Of course, there are no locks and dams in the Lower Mississippi River, but high water will cause safety restrictions to be put in place, which will likely include tows to slow speeds to not cause a wake. And, like the Ohio River issues, loading stations may be unable to load out.

Here is the latest on the impact from the rains by DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick "Torrential Rainfall Leads to Incredible Flooding for Mid-South, Southern Midwest": https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Mary Kennedy can be reached at mary.kennedy@dtn.com

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