Part of Mississippi reopens to cargo ships

JACKSON, Miss. -- The Coast Guard reopened the swollen Mississippi River north of New Orleans yesterday, allowing cargo vessels on the nation's busiest waterway to pass one-by-one in the latest effort to reduce pressure from rising floodwaters.

A 15-mile stretch at Natchez, Miss., was closed entirely earlier in the day, blocking vessels heading toward the Gulf of Mexico and others trying to return north after dropping off their freight. Had the channel remained closed, it could've brought traffic to a standstill up and down the river, which moves about 500 million tons of cargo each year.

That sort of interruption could've cost the U.S. economy hundreds of millions of dollars for every day of idled barges carrying coal, timber, iron, steel and more than half of America's grain exports.

Coast Guard officials said wakes generated by passing barge traffic could increase the strain on levees designed to hold back the river. Authorities were also concerned that barges could not operate safely in the flooded river, which has risen to the level of some docks and submerged others.

"We're closely monitoring traffic along the river and all vessels must stay to the center of the river," Coast Guard Cmdr. Mark Moland said.

It's not clear how long barges would only be able to move one at a time through the section. The river is expected to stay high in some places for weeks. The Coast Guard did not have comprehensive figures on how many vessels were affected, but the agency stopped at least 10 near Natchez yesterday. -- AP