Seven months have passed since the rising Mississippi River wreaked havoc on our community’s nerves and threatened area property.

The effects of the Great Flood of 2011 will be felt for years and years to come. Even today, months after the waters receded local government and private business alike continue to work on flood-related issues almost daily.

May’s flood was indeed a frightening time for thousands of property owners. The flood will forever be marked among the annals of several local businesses that were on the front lines of the flood, including J.M. Jones Lumber in Natchez and Vidalia Dock and Storage in Vidalia.

The Vidalia business saw heavy damages to its property, but the family business valiantly reorganized, cleaned up and got back to work again once the river went back to normal levels.

In Natchez, the family and crews of J.M. Jones Lumber fought an around-the-clock battle to raise its own levees to protect their property.

Owner Lee Jones and his workers typified the unbending spirit seen so often in last year’s flood.

“We just never stopped thinking we weren’t going to make it,” Jones said.

It was touch and go for a while, but in the end, they won the battle. War costs, however, were high at an estimated $1 million in lost business and flood prevention costs.

From all corners of the community locals banded together, worked whatever hours were necessary and did some pretty amazing things in the face of an historic flood.

Their collective work makes us all proud to call our area home — and grateful such floods are relatively rare.