The US Coast Guard (USCG) loosened draught restrictions on sections of the lower Mississippi River following heavy rains upstream from Hurricane Helene .
Traffic moving southbound on the lower Mississippi from Tiptonville, Tennessee, to Greenville, Mississippi, can now have a draught up to 10.6ft, while vessels in the region between Greenville to Tunica, Louisiana, can go up to 11ft, according to 26 September notice from the USCG. Tows traversing Tiptonville to Vicksburg, Mississippi, can have six barges wide, while tows traveling through Vicksburg to Tunica can be up to seven barges wide.
Northbound tows cannot draft higher than 9.5ft from Vicksburg up through Tiptonville. The same tows cannot have more than six barges wide and more than four of them loaded.
All but two locations on the lower Mississippi River rose above their low water threshold and are forecast to remain that way through mid-October, the National Weather Service said.
Restrictions were loosened late last week after Hurricane Helene brought flash floods to the southeastern US following weeks of drought conditions along the lower Mississippi River.
