NATCHEZ — A few folks in Adams County may be having flashbacks to last spring’s floods, but most residents won’t have to make plans for a Christmas flood fight.

The Mississippi River is expected to reach a crest of 45.7 feet this morning, maintain it for approximately a day and then begin dropping.

Severe weather expected in parts of southwest Mississippi likewise shouldn’t push the river too much higher, National Weather Service Hydrologist Marty Pope said.

“That (wet weather) could push it up as it gets to crest, but it should still stay below flood stage,” he said.

“We are not getting stuff up north that is going to turn the river around big time.”

“With the crest Tuesday, since that rain will fall right on top of it, we could see it go a little above (45.7 feet), but we should see a fall right after that.”

Flood stage at Natchez is 48 feet on the gauge, but some low-lying areas in Adams County and Concordia Parish take on water before that level.

In the parish, the areas between the old and new levee systems flood as the river approaches 40 feet, and at 43 feet water passes over Thornburg Lake Road in Anna’s Bottom and Lake Mary Road in Wilkinson County.

At 45 feet water begins to encroach on the small Wilkinson County community of Fort Adams.

The record high water mark was set May 19 when the river reached 61.9 feet.