louisiana. for me it's in some ways a dream place. if you have a little bug or whatever within ten minutes you can be away from. you can be in the world yes. ok some fish for supper you can watch birds to your heart's content that's the beauty you know you can own a little place like this one and i have my own little swamp and on the wall long it's a really is a magic place to live. in the space of about five to seven thousand years all of coastal louisiana was built through the mississippi river every year the river delivered tons of sediment which silly but surely built onto the sea creating a very biologically diverse ecosystem. they're . very wide in lower coastal flood plain created by the mississippi became an ideal place for people to settle because of the fisheries for animals and so on and also navigation and trade because of this pedro. well unfortunately because of the nature of the land and the terrain being close to sea level. flooding is a big issue. so the europeans who came in from from the western part of europe had g

louisiana it for me it's in some ways a dream. if you have a little bug or whatever. within ten minutes away from. you can be in the wilderness. ok some fish for supper you can watch the birds to your heart's content that's the beauty you know you can own a little place like this where i can have my own little swamp and on the valar it's a really is a magic place to live. in the space of about five to seven thousand years all of coastal louisiana was built through the mississippi river every year the river delivered tons of sentiment which slowly but surely built onto the sea creating a very biologically diverse ecosystem. and. there. are very wide unload coastal flood plain created by the mississippi became an ideal place for people to settle in because of the fisheries for animals and so on and also navigation on trade because of this big river. well unfortunately because of the nature of the land and the terrain being close to sea level. flooding is a big issue. so the europeans are came in from from the western part of you. had grown up if you will build a levee s

louisiana is. in some ways a dream place. if you have a little bug or whatever within ten minutes you can be away from. you can be in the wilderness. ok have some fish for supper he can watch the birds to your heart and say that's the beauty you know you can own a little place like this where i can have my own little swamp on the wall along it's a really is a magic place to live. in the space of about five to seven thousand years all of coastal louisiana was built through the mississippi river every year the river delivered tons of sediment which slowly but surely built out to the sea creating a very biologically diverse ecosystem. very wide unload coastal flood plain created by the mississippi became an ideal place for people to say it all because of the fisheries for animals and so on and also navigation and trade because of this parade route. well unfortunately because of the nature of the land and the rain being close to sea level. flooding is a big issue. so the europeans who came in from from the western part of europe

louisiana it for me it's in some ways a dream place. if you have a little bug or whatever within ten minutes away from. you can be in the wilderness. ok have some fish for supper you can watch the birds to your heart's content that's the beauty you know you can own a little place like this one and i have my own little swamp and on the volokh it's a really is a magic place to live. in the space of about five to seven thousand years all of coastal louisiana was built through the mississippi river every year the river delivered tons of sentiment and slowly but surely built time to see creating a very biologically diverse ecosystem. very wide in low coastal flood plain created by the mississippi became an ideal place for people to settle because of the fisheries animals and so on and also navigation and trade because of this pedro. well unfortunately because of the nature of the land and terrain being close to sea level. flooding is a big issue. so the europeans are came in from from the western part of europe had grown up if you will build

heartbreak in louisiana. it's flooding. [ female announcer ] the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise pain relieving cream. it blocks pain signals fast for relief precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. that weight watchers online was for guys, too. i'm like, it's not rainbows and lollipops. after i read this beer cheat sheet, i knew what the difference was between a light beer and a dark beer as far as points go. i use the grilling cheat sheet -- you drag it over onto the grill and it gives you a point value. this is a plan for men. i lost 109 pounds. "aww, man, you're on weight wat. that's funny." and i go, "reall? i look a lot better than you right now." [ men laugh ] [ male announcer ] hurry, join for free today. weight watchers online for men. finally, losing weight clicks. >>> we're flying over lake providence, louisiana. this is the old levee, not the new one, where water is flowing out of the miss misover the top of the levee. this is t

louisiana. for me it's in some ways a dream. if you have a little bug or whatever within ten minutes you can be away from. you can be in the wilderness. ok if some fish for supper he can watch birds to your heart and say that's the beauty you know you can own a little place like this where i can have my own little swamp and on the volokh it's a really is a magic place to live. in the space of about five to seven thousand years all the coastal louisiana was built through the mississippi river every year the river delivered tons of sediment is slowly but surely built out to the sea creating a very biologically diverse ecosystem. where. the very wide unload coastal flood plain created by the mississippi became an ideal place for people to say because of the fisheries for animals and so on and also navigation and trade because of this parade route. well unfortunately because of the nature of the land and to rain being close to sea level. flooding is a big issue. so the europeans you came in from from the western part of europe had g

louisiana it for me it's in some ways a dream place. if you have a little. whatever. ten minutes you can be away from. you can be in the wilderness. ok at some fish for supper you can watch the birds to your heart and say. that's the beauty you know you can own a little place like this walk and i have my own little small on the wall long it's a really is a magic place to live. in the space of about five to seven thousand years all of coastal louisiana was built through the mississippi river every year the river delivered tons of sediment which slowly but surely built out to the sea creating a very biologically diverse ecosystem. there. very wide and loads coastal flood plain created by the mississippi became an ideal place for people to settle because of the fisheries for animals and so on and also navigation and trade because of this paid rather. well unfortunately because of the nature of the land and the terrain being close to sea level. flooding is a big issue. so the europeans who came in from from the western part of europe had grown up if you will build a levee

the idea of growing food in louisiana and shipping it to haiti, there is no point to maintaining louisiana. why would napoleon be so stupid as to sell this vast profitable land in the united states rather than keeping it for himself? the reality is without haiti there is no point and no reason to maintain control as there is in the north american continent. the haitian revolution is the reason louisiana became america. an interesting figure happens in louisiana. haiti's sugar production has fallen from 70,000 tons of sugar to 10,000 in 1798. there is a very smart man who is a french aristocrat who moved to louisiana and he said with haiti's sugar production falling surely we can grow sugar in louisiana. so he started doing that and it was of a lower quality than the sugar produced in haiti given there's no sugar production coming out anymore they consult on the market and get very rich. jean noelle ddesterin said cultivation must be the improvements of a century be destroyed and the great river resume its empire over a ruined field and demolished habitation. what he was saying is essential

louisiana. in some ways a dream. if you have a little. within ten minutes you can be away from it all you can be in the wilderness. ok if some fish for supper he can watch the birds to your heart and say that's the beauty you know you can own a little place like this where i can have my own little swamp and on the wildlife it's a really is a magic place to live. in the space of about five to seven thousand years all of coastal louisiana was built through the mississippi river every year the river delivered tons of sediment is slowly but surely built out to the sea creating a very biologically diverse ecosystem. where. there. are very wide and loads coastal flood plain created by the mississippi became an ideal place for people to settle because of the fisheries animals and so on and also navigation and trade because of this big river. well unfortunately because of the nature of the land and the terrain being close to sea level. flooding is a big issue. so the europeans who came in from from the western part of europe. had grown up if you

we used to identify louisiana pre-k. train and rita and post katrina and rita and now it's pretty spill and post down might feel like life as we know it is changed forever. it's just unbelievably bad when they want to start burning the heavy portion of it we had to insist that it only be turned on if the winds were moving offshore. it was making an aerosol of the hydrocarbons it was moving on shore way ahead of the spill and making people very very sick given the headaches meting and crashes burning eyes and just disrupting life all along the coastal areas. this is the last thing we need we've got a hurricane season approaching this is the time of year when you know we've got a lot of birds breeding out on the baryons and in the way plans the fish will all be another marine law the story into into the by in a stories most marine oldham's them when they come into an oil slick the instincts don't tell them how to react because it's not a natural phenomenon of folding. it's just going to life out these coastal communities a

we're in morgan city live tonight in louisiana. much more on the impact of the floods, the preparations for the floods here in louisiana as we continue. when we come back, presidential politics. the donald takes himself out of the race. doesn't surprise me. how about you? turns out, it was all a tease. ♪ [ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. >>> donald trump took himself out of the 2012 presidential race. no announcement. just a written statement. i've spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. ultimately however business is my greatest passion and i'm not

that's kind of a tormented term in south louisiana, but in southwest louisiana creole often means people from traditionally -- black people from traditionally french-speaking communities. and i talked to musicians and promoters and told them about the book i was writing, they said make sure you mention the creoles, because we're not cajun. as inclusive as the term cajun can becomest nickly, it's a lot broader. >> it is a complex state, to say the least. freddi, your newest book -- which i believe you brought an advance galley of it -- it's due to be published by the university of louisiana at lafayette. [applause] >> thank you. >> and the subject is congo square. and for the benefit of our audience members who may not know where it's located or its significance in our city's history, could you just give us a brief background on congo square? >> surely. congo square is located within the louis armstrong park complex which is on -- [inaudible] street. during the 18th and 19th centuries, that means during french, spanish as well as american rule, enslaved africans as well as free people of

still to crest where we are in louisiana. we'll go to this louisiana. we'll go to mississippi. enwe'll talk to chad myers. he'll help us understand why this flood is shattering the records [ woman speaking chinese ] thank you. do you have an english menu? no english. [ speaking chinese ] [ gasps, speaks chinese ] do you guys like dumplings? i love dumplings. working with a partner you can trust is always a good decision. massmutual -- let our financial professionals help you reach your goals. finally, there's a choice for my patients with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, or afib, that's not caused by a heart valve problem. today we have pradaxa to reduce the risk of a stroke caused by a clot. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mg reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin. and with pradaxa, there's no need for those regular blood tests. pradaxa is progress. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may inc

thankfully not for parts of louisiana. as we zoom in on the eastern half of the country, scattered showers developing in parts of alabama and into the carolinas also. even back into parts of the great lakes and also into pat civic northwest. we're seeing some rainfall moving in to that part of the world also. even a few thunderstorms possible in those locations. all right. that's a quick snapshot of what you have weatherwise. we're keeping a very sharp eye on the southern end of louisiana. waters will be rising over the next couple of hours, days, and certainly possibly weeks. let's send it back you to. >> appreciate you, buddy. we'll check this with you again shortly. >> you bet. >>> we're looking back at baseball players like jackie robinson and hank aaron. i had a chance to sit down with hank aaron and talk baseball, of course. but also how baseball is losing touch with young black men. >> it could be better. it could be a lot better. we don't have as many african-americans playing baseball now as we used to have. any t

but ten thousand mile bag of oil and gas pipelines crisscrosses louisiana's wetlands. today many of those pipelines and their infrastructures i bend and. my father was military. and when you grow up i think in a household and that environment you learn that you have a responsibility to do the right thing for other people not just you know their companies. they're not even people that corporations they're legal entities and i don't think you can let somebody intimidate you. much of the abandoned oil and gas infrastructure that was initially built on land. but due to erosion storms or misguided attempts to control the mississippi river and much of it is now surrounded by water. not only others come out that they built to access the war in the first place to strongly over wetlands there are constantly or spills something or leaks out here and when they get done with it it's just there and it's all on the bottom and they have all pipes on the bottom whatever they aren't using they throw overboard the only people that ever see that is are fishermen who work the bottom are s

we used to identify louisiana pre-k. train and rita and post katrina and rita and now it's pretty spill and poster girl feel like life as we know it has changed forever. it's just unbelievably bad. when they want to stop burning the heavy portion of it we had to insist that it only be burned one of the winds were moving offshore. it was making an error saw of the hydrocarbons it was moving on shore way ahead of the spill and making people very very sick given the headaches vomiting pressures burning eyes and just disrupting life all along the coastal areas. this is the last thing we need we've got a hurricane season approaching this is the time a year when you know we've got a lot of birds breeding out on the baryons and in the weight bands the fish will all be another marine all via study into into the by an ace trees most marine over listens when they come into an oil slick the instincts don't tell them how to react because it's not a natural phenomenon folding. it's just going to wipe out these coastal communities as

two decades ago paul helped to right some of louisiana's strongest environmental law firms. which a coil and gas companies fiercely opposed. corruption is probably biggest problem money and politics corruption is the people think of in terms also might get a payoff like that's part of it but it's goes much deeper than that once you begin to change the way an agency does its business once that happens then the whole agency begins to change and it's no longer works for the people it's what. political scientists call client capture agency becomes captured by the group it's supposed to be regulated and then the agency serves that group and it doesn't serve the public anymore good people leave because they don't want to work in that kind of environment and you're left with a sort of dead in the water agency and we have a number of those no easy out. even if you got the law in place in history has had a big say in writing those rules they want to take first look at the regulations and then they would edit them and i was on from that program because the management program over that

state of louisiana where water pollution is the disastrous cost of doing business with us part of this special report is up next. thirty five years ago wilma helped identify a toxic that some suffocating marine life in the gulf of mexico the dead cell is all encompassing it's along the mississippi river it's in the gulf the dead zone has a huge impact on all the coastal areas where you have the fisheries resources. we know that it's being caused by runoff in the midwest. the midwest has been growing more corn and walk on requires a heavy a fertile cause a lot of. every you nine hundred thousand tons of agricultural fertilizer washes into the mississippi river from thirty one states outside the museum. as the river moves through the louisiana it brings all those nutrients down with it and it causes algae blooms which use up the oxygen and cause what's called a dead stop and slow are no. makes sense from the mouth of the mississippi all the way into texas. no fish no crabs all the type of aquatic organisms that they normally catch so it's having an impact on the whole united states but i

we used to identify louisiana pre-k. train and rita and post katrina and rita and now it's pretty spill and post gallup we feel like life has me now it has changed forever. it's just unbelievably bad when they wanted to start burning the heavy portion of it we had to insist that it only be burned when the winds were moving offshore. it was making an aerosol of the hydrocarbons it was moving on shore way ahead of the spill and making people very very sick given headaches vomiting precious burning eyes and just disrupting life all along the coastal areas. this is the last thing we need we've got a hurricane season approaching this is the tommy year when you know we've got a lot of birds breeding out on the baryons and then the wait times the fish will all be another marine log be a study into into the by the news stories most marine oldham isms when they come into an oil slick the instincts don't tell them how to react because it's not a natural phenomenon and folding. is just going to lie about these coastal communities a

stevensville, louisiana. and the children of the only elementary school here are moving their classes to higher ground. >> i got you, three. >> reporter: the clock is ticking for working-class stevensville. >> we're told, it's going to be one for the books. and if that's the case, we have to take every precautions to protect our desks, chairs and children, too. >> reporter:tephensville is one of several towns that could be swept away. it's a position the army corps could make to save the bigger cities of new orleans and baton rouge down the river. >> i know it's necessary they do what they've got to do. but still, i guess in a way, i am a little angry. >> reporter: we're circling over the floodgates right now. there's 125 individual gates. if and when the army corps of engineers decides to open them, wattser will spill from there, on to farmland. leaving a devastating footprint. but if the gates stay closed, levees along the mississippi may not be able to take the re. pressure. leading to breeches and failure

now parts of louisiana witnessing historic flooding. the u.s. army corp of engineers opened a single -- you see it there, that's just a single floodgate on the morganza spillway yesterday afternoon. more gates could be opened later today. the whole point here is to try to relieve pressure from the mississippi river. >>> also in haiti, swearing in a new president there. had to do it in the dark for a time. michel marte lmpltlly. >>> there is just a bombshell out of new york city this morning. dominique strauss-khan. you might not know that name. he is the head of the international monetary fund. you might not be that familiar with the organization. but this is significant. let me explain. he is now under arrest on charges including attempted rape after a hotel maid claims he attacked her. for perspective here, cnn's jim bittermann is live in paris for us this morning. jim, if you can to our audience here, explain the significance of this man. >> reporter: well, couldn't be a bigger story than it is in france today. in fact, our colleagues at the

we have to do a better job in louisiana of supporting louisiana of supporting education and for more money into education. we have a program that gives some kids free college. i would discontinue that and eliminate about 1/3 of the parishes of louisiana. parishes of louisiana. .e are over-governed t with a platform like that, i won't win. host: gonzales, louisiana, go ahead. caller: good morning. caller: good morning. in general, he do you think fema will be as low as this as they were on katrina because there were very, very slow. ? fell lot has changed in fema and there is a new leader that has taken on leaning forward. we are also building the requirement that everyone in america knows you have to be prepared to be your own first responder for the concept of resiliency. a lot has changed at fema. after the tornadoes, there were there the day after and now in the flooding, they are totally embedded and supporting the states and what they need in terms of response and dealing with people. the artist's work is yet to come as we go into recovery. -- the hardest work is yet to come as

rice. >> that is louisiana rice. a little dirty rice. >> just so you know. >> all right. thanks, don. >> we appreciate it. >>> we're going to have much more on the swollen mississippi river straight ahead on cnn. >> it's worse than we thought. it's really worse than we thought. we thought maybe we might have water in our yard and stuff. this is going to come into our homes. it's going to take everything. everything that we've got. >> that is raw emotion from a resident in louisiana. this town will soon be swallowed by water from the mississippi river now that the morganza spillway has been opened and we're talking to resident who's are trying to pack up their lives and get out of the way of that water. also a lot of focus on louisiana these past few days as we've awaited the opening of that spillway, but up river, other cities and towns are on the brink of being inundated by floodwaters. we'll take you live to greenville, mississippi, ahead this hour. >>> but we're following another big developing story this hour, it

gasoline supply comes from where you are at, the mississippi river area in louisiana. almost 13% is brewed in nine refineries lining the river from baton rouge south to new orleans. are these refineries out of harm away. >> the department of energy seems to think so although some local officials are not quite so sanguine about that idea. the pore ganza spillway if it had not been open would have flooded two refineries in baton rouge as it is. there is one flood, or one refinery that's directly in the floodway and is considerably threatened by this. that is the one that is owned by the allen refining company in pratt springs, louisiana. >> tom: stay safe, and our best wishes for you and your crew and the folks you are talking to as well in louisiana. >> thanks very much. tom bearden with the pbs newshour with us from baton rouge, louisiana. >> thesearch giant was the $3 billion. google's move is similar to ones paid by other largetech companies including ebay and microsoft. the company shares have slipped 9% this year so it is likely to use the proceeds to expand. now o

in morgan city, louisiana. all eyes on morgan city today. let's talk about this flooding, major flooding has swamped the upper mississippi and ohio river valley is now making aim at lower mississippi. later today the army corps of engineers could open the morganza spill way in louisiana. it has not been opened in more than 40 years. w450i why would they open it now? it could save the cities of new orleans and baton rouge saving them from flooding, but unfortunately it would flood homes and businesses in the southwest part of the state. also on monday, president obama will give a commencement address at a high school in memphis and will also take the time out while he's there to meet with families affected by the flooding. but that may not be much comfort to others who know floodwater also take their homes. >> it's worse than we thought. it's really worse than we thought. we thought maybe we might have water in our yard, instead this is going to come into our home, it's going to take everything we have got. >> all right. let's turn back to th

dean reynolds, cbs news morganza, louisiana. >>> now to politics. another prominent republican is expected to announce today that he is running for the white house. tara mergener is in washington with details. good morning, tara. so, who is it this time? >> good morning to you, betty. well this list of gop hopefuls is now getting longer. but the race is still considered wide open. texas congressman ron paul is expected to make his third presidential run official. this morning in new hampshire, aides say, he'll throw his hat into the ring for the republican nomination. he'll join former speaker newt gingrich, who announced his run earlier this week, and former massachusetts governor mitt romney. >> i'm going to talk today about repealing and replacing president obama's health care system. >> reporter: in michigan thursday, romney blasted president obama's health care overhaul. but he also defended the model for that plan. his own program in massachusetts. >> our plan was a state solution to a state problem. and his is a power grab by the federal gove

especially in south louisiana. just like these waters are going to rise behind me, and that rising of that sun, that beautiful sun that's behind me, we're going to rise again. it reminds me of the randy newman song that says "louisiana they're trying to wash us away we're not going to get washed away. we're resilient people." we've had, you know, just natural event after natural event and we keep coming back. want the rest of the nation to know although it's just a few communities suffering this damage, the rest of our area is opened up for business. we're here in louisiana to give you a good time. we play hard but we work hard and we want you to come and enjoy some of the hospitality we have in louisiana. >> keep everybody safe over the next few days and best of luck to your residents over the next month or so as they try to get back home, okay? >> thanks a million. appreciate it. >> thank you. ali? >> both you and i have experienced hotpy tallty of louisianians in tough times, they are hospitable all the time. >>

the result of a choice to sacrifice this part of louisiana to spare its biggest cities. that choice in turn has people in these rural communities facing some very difficult options. here in st. landry parish, the atchafalaya river swamped the neighborhood even before the morganza spillway opened. now the mississippi river gushes through to save new orleans and baton rouge from flooding. while in the tiny town of port springs 15 miles away, residents have few easy choices. >> gives us trouble every now and then, but you deal with it and keep going. >> reporter: cal evans and his wife karen are staying put at his mom's house despite an evacuation order. >> we don't really have anywhere else to go. >> reporter: they already left their own house five miles south of here. with daughter samantha, a brain cancer survivor, and four dogs, they can't go to a shelter and can't afford a hotel. >> this is the cheapest thing for us to do, stay here until we have to leave, and then spend money. money you know you can't afford to spend. >> reporter: the emotional cost overwhelmed michel

landry of louisiana. the chair: the gentleman from louisiana is recognized for one minute. mr. landry: thank you, mr. chairman. my colleagues on the other side of the aisle should listen to this story, it's a true life story, very well. it talks about the face of big oil and i'm going to tell you what it is. there's a little community in my district named cota homes which has been around since the cajuns were kicked out and settled down into louisiana, it's a fishing village. there's a gentleman down there who graduated high school in 1968 and began to work in the oil and gas industry and for 30 years he worked in the oil and gas industry. he raised two children in that oil and gas industry. never asked the government for anything other than to apply his trade. the experience he gained in the gulf of mexico led him to work in one of the first deepwater projects in the gulf of mecks could he. he worked for shell oil and gas, big oil, and guess what? when he retired he was making in excess of $1,750 a day. he put two kids through college. now -- mr. lamborn: i give the gentleman

a lot of water is flooding into louisiana. surging in now, following the opening of floodgates designed to do just that, flood one area to spare another. there's still a lot of water on the way. and high water will be with us for weeks. water will be straining against those levees and walls for some time. the mississippi river is changing as the flooding is rearranging life on land and overrunning parts of the bayou. the experts now tell us the impact from these floods could go as high as $2 billion. a big hit for industries like catfish, cotton, corn, wheat, beans, rice, the shipping industry that relies on the river as a central artery. we want to start off again tonight with nbc's anne thompson. she's in melville, louisiana. hey, anne. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. these waters are the superhighway of commerce. and the flood is causing a traffic jam. and that's costing money. as the swollen mississippi thundered south, high water forces the closing of the river to barge traffic at natchez, mississippi. the

so they called in the louisiana national guard. they've been working around the clock to build a two-mile- long temporary levy. the major is running the operation. >> we're using reclaimed as fault provided by the department of transportation as a base course. that base course is bringing us from a natural elevation up to 24 feet from where the flood stage is predicted to be. >> reporter: even with the emergency levy and other existing levees, the parish government decided to issue a mandatory evacuation order for krotz springs. yesterday afternoon caravans of sheriff's deputies, municipal police officers and national guardsmen were going door to door telling people to leave, but the reality is that a mandatory evacuation isn't really mandatory. people can stay with their property if they want to. angel elaine gillery had decided to stay because there is their dream home. only two years old. >> we've been planning it for ten years. we eventually got comfortable enough on our feet that we could afford it. we built it. we built it. w

so they called in the louisiana national guard. they've been working around the clock to build a two-mile- long temporary levy. the major is running the ope >> we're using reclaimed as fault provided by the department of transportation as a base course. that base course is bringing us from a natural elevation up to 24 feet from where the flood stage is predicted to be. >> reporter: even with the emergency levy and other existing levees, the parish government decided to issue a mandatory evacuation order for krotz springs. yesterday afternoon caravans of sheriff's deputies, municipal police officers and national guardsmen were going door to door telling people to leave, but the reality is that a mandatory evacuation isn't really mandatory. people can stay with their property if they want to. angel elaine gillery had decided to stay because there is their dream home. only two years old. >> we've been planning it for ten years. we eventually got comfortable enough on our feet that we could afford it. we built it. we built it. we built

>>> the flood gate is open in louisiana. the threat prompting crews to unleash a torrent of water toward thousands of homes. >>> storm clouds making their way across the bay area today. guess what, rain not far away. maybe some lightning and snow. details coming up. >>> his road to recovery leads him back to the bay area. why brian stowe is coming back all because of one of man. >> good evening, i'm ann notarangelo. >> the army corps of engineers began releasing water from a spillway along the mississippi river in louisiana today. and they're diverting water hoping to avoid a bigger disaster in the more populated areas downstream. randall pinksston is in moreganza louisiana with the latest. >> reporter: the spillway was opened in louisiana this afternoon for the first time in many years. >> it is an historic day. >> and opening the spillway could inundate 3,000 square miles of low lying swamp and cropland affects thousands of residents. the release will be gradual, beginning with one of 125 flood gates. more gates will be op

so they called in the louisiana national guard. they've been working around the clock to build a two-mile- long temporary levy. the major is running the operation. >> we're using reclaimed as fault provided by the department of transportation as a base course. that base course is bringing us from a natural elevation up to 24 feet from where the flood stage is predicted to be. >> reporter: even with the emergency levy and other existing levees, the parish government decided to issue a mandatory evacuation order for krotz springs. yesterday afternoon caravans of sheriff's deputies, municipal polic officers and national guardsmen were going door to door telling people to leave, but the reality is that a mandatory evacuation isn't really mandatory. people can stay with their property if they want to. angel elaine gillery had decided to stay because there is their dream home. only two years old. >> we've been planning it for ten years. we eventually got comfortable enough on our feet that we could afford it. we built it. we built it. we

vannesa la atención se centra, en las inundaciones, en mississippi, se centra ahora en tennessee, y louisiana, los estados, que recibirían el impacto en próximos días, comenzando mañana, posiblemente, se vaticinan tormentas , y lo peobvios no llegó, se anticipa que el agua cubrirá, en los próximos días, las aguas aumentaron en el transcurso del día, e ingresó a zonas pobres, los daños, se calculan en 320 millones de dólares, se conocerán en próximas semanas, la cifra oficial, la producción agricola mermó, la de arroz, maíz, algodón, recordemos que esta industria, está elaborada por hispanos, y hasta perdería srabajo y la atención también se concentra en louisiana, se ordenó la movilización de la guardia nacional, la emergencia, fue declarada, en 21 distritos, y cubriría hasta 1, 2 mil de hectáreas, louisiana, hernÁnd a está recuperando. >>> bueno, cambio de tema , mayo es el mes de la prevención de embarazos adolescentes, algo que puede evitarse con información y comunicación. >>> las cifras son alarmantes, más de 1 mil jóvenes quedaneo embarazadas diariamente

, louisiana. and the children of the only elementary school here are moving their classes to higher ground. >> i got you. >> reporter: the clock is ticking for working class stevensville. >> we've been told there's going to be one for the books and if that's the case, we have got to take every precaution to protect all of our desk, chairs and our children too. >> reporter: if the corps of engineers opens the spillway, stevensville is just one of several towns that could be swept away. it's a decision the army corps could make as early as tomorrow in order to save the bigger cities of new orleans and baton rouge downriver. >> i know it's necessary that they do what they got to do but still i guess in a way i am a little angry. >> reporter: we're circling over the floodgates right now. there are 125 individual gates. if and when the army corps of engineers decides to open them, water will spill from there and on to the farmland. leaving a devastating footprint. flooding a swath of land 100 miles lon

louisiana outdoors man as well. thank you for joining us. first of all, give us a sense of how dangerous the situation is. >> i think it's more for the animals than it is for the people. >> how so? >> they are used to ebb and flow but we have not seen water levels of these heights. certainly we have not seen the morganza spillway in almost 40 years. those animals are going to be trying to escape that floodwater and basically seeking refuge on the levees on the outside or any other higher ridges within the basin and those animals are going to have to swim a long way, be under stress and be displaced from their homes and so the department of wildlife and fishery is urging people to give them a wide birth, to let those deer, hog, pig, bears, whatever is coming out of the spillway seek refuge on the levees and make their way into other wild areas. >> chris, it's one thing to let the bears and the deer kind of run and give them space. but if you're talking about -- if you're looking at an alligator or a snake, what do pe

the national weather service today lowered its flood crest forecast for butte la rose, louisiana, by 2 1/2 feet. here's nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: the flood water from the mississippi is a silent, menacing stalker in louisiana, today, blocking this road to the wildlife management area in the morganza spillway. >> they have been drowning. >> reporter: the water is claiming deer and creating new places for alligators to swim. on the other side of the atchafalaya, some homes closest to the river are in it, while those on the other side of the levee are dry. with almost everyone evacuated, the louisiana national guard is ready for what comes next. >> our hope is that this is an exercise in preparedness and an exercise in coming to the aid of a community that frankly our hope is we never have to execute. >> reporter: vicksburg, mississippi, still needs help. this week, they set a new record, reaching 57.1 feet. some 14 feet above flood stage. here martha haggard can barely see the home she bought in 2004, now submerged in feted water. >> i don't think i'm going to go back, to tell

tavis: what it was like growing up in louisiana? it was beautiful. i love louisiana. tavis: you just bought a piece of land in new orleans building a house. >> i didn't just want to have a condo in the french quarter where you drop in. i would love to be a part of the fabric of that city and help that city come back and be the great city it was when i was a child. i love louisiana. there's no place on earth like louisiana and no city on earth like new orleans. i grew up in baton rouge. it has a certain vibe, a certain flavor, a certain smell. there's so much culture packed into that small place, especially in new orleans. you can't walk an inch without hearing great music, without seeing great art, without tasting great food. it is concentrated with greatness and with a vibe that is unlike any place on earth. tavis: were you at all surprised, i would assume not, given that you were in this business for as long as you have been in it, were you surprised that you could write a book about your life and your work and your aspirations, frustrations, fears, hopes, and there

the move will flood other areas in south central louisiana. and this map right here you're about to see it, it says it all. areas in yellow could get up to 20 feet of water and green up to 15 feet. we'll have live coverage of a briefing by the u.s. army corps of engineers at 2:00 eastern time. >>> in areas like morgan city, louisiana, could get disastrous flooding. morgan city is protected by flood walls. but those walls could fail. the city's mayor talked about his concerns with her ed lavandera. >> reporter: are you worried about it flooding? this is the heart of the city. >> it is. and it's primarily protected by that wall right there. it would take a failure of that wall, i think, before this would really be at risk. what we're really concerned about is that high river stage raising the water level back where the lake is and then if that got topped, because that level of protection is not nearly as high as this, if that gets tops, the water will flow throughout the city and won't be held in a particular compartment of the city. we're an is

the chair: the gentleman from louisiana, mr. richmond, is recognized for the remainder of the minority leader's hour. mr. richmond: i want to first, before i start, thank the gentlelady from texas, congresswoman sheila jackson lee not only for introducing the segment tonight but for the work she has done for people all across the country and especially when you talk about disasters. she was there for the city of new orleans in the metro region after the hurricanes to make sure everyone was included in the rebuilding and reconstruction and a lot of her effort to make sure we could rebuild the city of new orleans. and as we just suffer loss around the country with the tornadoes that hit, i'm reminded of hurricanes katrina and rita, but more importantly, i'm reminded of the people in this congress who go above and beyond to make sure we take care of everyone in this country and for that, i want to thank congresswoman sheila jackson lee for doing that. tonight i want to focus on our brave soldiers who recently fell in afghanistan. w

we want to start off our coverage tonight with nbc's anne thompson in butte larose, louisiana. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. louisianians are busy tonight, preparing for this historic flood which has already done so much damage upriver. as the mississippi river barrels south, satellite images reveal its relentless and destructive impact. this was memphis on april 21st before the flood, and this was memphis yesterday. much of the city underwater as the mississippi reclaims its territory. the damage here pegged at $320 million. the swamped casinos in tunica mississippi, could lose up to $87 million just this month. overall, one economist estimates the flood's toll could reach $4 billion. up and down the raging river, people race against the clock, filling sandbags in yazoo city, mississippi. crews built this temporary levee in the shadow of louisiana's i-10e that crosses the atchafalaya river basin. >> it will be the back-up of the water from the mississippi trying to get out from the river into the gulf. it backed up on us. >> reporter: that's if officials open

>> anne thompson starting us off in morgan city, louisiana, tonight. thanks. >>> this flooding is a disaster. some of it historic, epic proportions, but something else is also true. it was predicted. we knew it was coming. we want to show you why, these numbers just came out today. this is snowfall this past winter. that number there on the left hand column is percentage above normal and the number on the right is actual inches of snow. columbia, missouri over 346% more than they usually get. here in new york city, about 5 feet of snow, philly 44 inches, and so on. that was the setup for what we're seeing right now in the south. and what about the future? weather channel meteorologist chris warren in their headquarters with us tonight. hello, chris. >> brian, we're taking a look at the effects of opening the morganza spillway. first i want to show you a look at where we have new orleans and look upstreamthat's where the morganza spillway is located. if they open that this weekend, this is what is expected to happen. the areas shaded in green that's whe

i love louisiana. just need to take precautions when you live -- when you live here. >> reporter: it all comes with a big price tag. at this ship yard repair business, they've been building levees instead of turning out product. >> just in the last couple of weeks we've lost $300,000 worth of work anticipated coming into the ship yard. it's been a big cost so far. the crest has been pushed even further back. now scheduled for a week from today. giving families like the arnonies a little more time to load up and move out. >> we don't know what to expect. so we're planning for the worst and hoping for the best. >> reporter: janet shamlian, nbc news. >>> what's in a name? well, it's a lot, if you ask san jose's vietnamese community. thousand s were on hand to witness the unveiling of a sign unveiling an area called little saigon. if you remember back in 2007, the effort to name the area little saigon sparked massive demonstrations and even a hunger strike. so what were they so upsite about? much of the sa