Vanderbilt Television News Archive

(Studio: Brian Williams) The flooding from the Mississippi River introduced; map shown. NOTE: Local weather bulletin on screen.

(Baton Rouge: Anne Thompson) The imminent opening of the Morganza Spillway in Louisiana to prevent flooding in Baton Rouge and New Orleans featured; scenes shown of Terrebonne Parish residents preparing to leave, levee work in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the levee built by farmer Everett Deere††, Tiger Dam tubes in Baton Rouge; statistics on oil production in the flood zone cited; details given of concern about toxins in the flood debris. [Terrebonne Parish resident Leroy MAYS‡, DEERE, Louisianan Randy BOUDREAU‡- comment.] [Louisiana Oil and Gas Assn. Gifford BRIGGS†- says any disruption in the oil market has the potential to affect pricing.]

(Studio: Brian Williams) Live interview held with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu about the threat to his city. [From New Orleans, LANDRIEU – comments on working with the Corps of Engineers; notes the levees in question are not the ones breached by Hurricane Katrina; expresses concern about the people whose property will be flooded.]

(Lake Chotard, Mississippi: Thanh Truong) The impact of the flood on wild animals in the area featured; scenes shown of a coyote swimming in Mississippi, a raccoon on a telephone pole, a wild hog in the water, running deer, alligators in Chotard Lake, a water moccasin snake on a flooded street. [Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Randy NEWELL†– says they’re looking for dry ground.] [WOMAN – says a gator got the dog.] [Tennessee Wildlife Resource officer Ray McMILLEN†- says stay away from alligators.]