Mississippi partly closed to shipping

The US Coast Guard has closed a section of the swollen Mississippi River to shipping, in an effort to reduce pressure on flood defences.

The authorities said barge traffic at the port in Natchez, Mississippi, could increase pressure on the levees.

The move could cost shipping companies and exporters millions of dollars, as the Mississippi is a vital route for grain shipments.

It is unclear when it might re-open, leaving some barges trapped upriver.

The river near Natchez is already 3ft (1m) above the record set in 1937, and is not expected to crest for several days.

Economic fallout

It could take weeks for water levels to return to normal.

The Mississippi is a highway for barges carrying corn, soybeans and other crops brought down from the Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi river systems on their way to the Gulf of Mexico, so the closure will have far-reaching economic effects.

The halt in shipping is one more measure in a growing list of attempts to prevent massive flooding in heavily populated areas like New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

The Army Corps of Engineers opened the Morganza Spillway at the weekend, choosing to flood more rural areas with fewer homes.

That decision forced nearly 5,000 people to leave their homes across Louisiana, many of whom say they are worried about whether they will be able to return.