All Tourist Attractions and Events are Open and Operating

Kevin Kane stated, “The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau is monitoring potential flooding throughout the city, especially in areas dedicated to visitor traffic. We have set up a community page, www.memphistravel.com/memphis-weather-update, that will be kept updated with all major decisions made in regards to the weather. All visitor related businesses in Memphis are open as usual.”

Memphis in May International Festival organizers announced today that due to high water levels near Tom Lee Park, the venue for the 2011 World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest will be moved. Organizers will relocate the event to Tiger Lane on the Memphis Fairgrounds. The dates of the event will remain the same, May 12 – 14, 2011.  All other aspects of the event, but the location, will be as scheduled.  Low cost transportation will run on a continual loop from four downtown locations to the Barbecue Contest from late Wednesday afternoon through Saturday evening. For more information, please visit www.memphisinmay.org.

The National Weather Service has revised the predicted crest of the Mississippi River from 45 to 48 on the Memphis gauge.  The crest is predicted to occur on May 10.  This revised crest is still well within the capabilities of the flood protection system in Memphis.  Low areas outside of the Memphis flood protection system will be subject to rising waters between now and May 10.  Memphis Public Works is closing floodgates ahead of the rising waters.  All City of Memphis flood control pump stations are in operating order.

Areas most likely to expect flooding as a result of the high water on the Mississippi are within the Loosahatchie flood plain west of Austin Peay Highway, the Wolf River flood plain west of Covington Pike and the Nonconnah Creek flood plain west of Airways Boulevard. These are mostly residential areas.

The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, the official marketing and tourism organization for Memphis and Shelby County, is a private, not-for-profit, membership organization dedicated to building the local economy and the community’s positive image through tourism and convention development, major events and destination marketing.

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