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May 11, 2011

Flooding Hits Poor Areas of Memphis 
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The Mississippi River crested at nearly 48 feet on Tuesday, causing
hardship in some of the South’s poorest areas. With water rushing at a
rate of 900 million gallons a minute, some 1,300 homes were threatened
and nearly 500 people living near Memphis were forced into shelters.
Crops were washed away by backed-up tributaries. Nineteen casinos along
the swollen river will be shut down by the end of the week, costing
local governments approximately $13 million in monthly taxes and leaving
13,000 employees temporarily out of work. President Barack Obama has
declared 15 Tennessee counties federal disaster areas due to flooding
and severe weather.



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