NATCHEZ — Although the Mississippi River at Natchez currently sits near 40 feet, some Miss-Lou residents don’t see the need to worry.

Natchez resident Hiram Burkes said he’s not qualified to instruct residents on whether or not they should be worried about the river’s swift rise.

However, he opted to recommend a book that could give area residents the insight they might need.

“Read ‘Rising Tide’ by John Barry,” Burkes said. “It’s a history book about one of the greatest disasters to occur, the Mississippi flood of 1927.”

The great Mississippi flood of 1927 was noted as the most vicious river flood in U.S. history, where the river was almost 80 miles wide at some locations.

“John Barry covers a lot of secrets about the Mississippi River that everyone should be aware of,” Burkes said.

Barry recalled when the Mississippi River rose to 61.9 feet in May 2011, but he doesn’t think it would get to that level again.

“I don’t think there’s anything to be concerned about,” Burkes said.

Natchez resident Ike Sanders, however, said the area residents should show some concern.

“Since the ice is melting up north, the water is eventually going to come this way,” Sanders said.

But National Weather Service Hydrologist Marty Pope said Friday that the rise was because of higher-than-usual rainfall in the Ohio River Valley, which empties into the Lower Mississippi River.

Longtime Natchez native David Davis recommended that businesses along the Riverfront in Vidalia start preparing in case the water were to rise within the next few days.

“I remember how everyone panicked over the water rising back in 2011,” Davis said. “Although it’s smart to prepare for such an occasion, I don’t see where anyone should be worried right now.”

The Mississippi River is expected to rise 6.6 feet in the next two weeks, placing it just below flood level, which is a flood stage of 48 feet in Natchez on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gauge.

The National Weather Service forecasters have predicted the river will rise close to 46.5 feet by March 27.