SICILY ISLAND, La. – Civil defense personnel and agriculture experts are keeping an eye on skies and on weather forecasts here and elsewhere. Debra Renda, civil defense director for Catahoula Parish, said the Black River is expected to rise three feet to a flood stage of 50 feet by Wednesday. The river rose 1 foot Saturday, Renda said.

No plans for sandbagging or other precautions had been finalized as of Sunday afternoon. &uot;Right now, though, we’re just playing it by ear,&uot;&160;Renda said.

And a shelter Red Cross volunteers set up in Jonesville for residents of the Sicily Island area whose roads had been cut off by high waters was set to be closed Sunday afternoon. &uot;No one’s come in (to the shelter), so we’re going to close it,&uot; Renda said. The shelter is about 20 miles away from the flood victims, but no facilities were available closer to Sicily Island, she said.

Rainfall of more than 10 inches from Thursday night through Saturday caused low-lying areas of Concordia and Catahoula parishes to flood.

But now that those waters have receded, Civil Defense Director Morris White has another concern – monitoring Mississippi River levels, which could rise due to storms in the Northeast. &uot;Rivers in that area flow back into the Mississippi River, … so the rain we’re sending them has got to eventually flow back down to us,&uot; White said.

Severe storms dumped rain on the east coast Sunday and were expected to continue into the Northeast today, with colder temperatures threatening to turn the rainshowers to snow. &uot;Whether that becomes snow will determine how soon the river rises here,&uot; White said. &uot;If it’s snow, it could take several days to melt.&uot;

But White said he regularly contacts the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies to get river stages and forecasts. He and Levee Board members also regularly check levees to make sure they are withstanding rising waters.

If it appears the river will rise above flood stage, which is about 58 feet, White will convene an emergency planning committee that includes officials of the sheriff’s office, the Corps of Engineers, local fire districts and other agencies.

At that point, committee members will take shifts to constantly monitor the levees, White said.

Meanwhile, Concordia Parish County Agent Glen Daniels is hoping the parish is not deluged by rain again until at least mid-May.

&uot;We really needed this rain, especially with the back-to-back years of drought we’ve had in recent years. Hopefully, the water table has been replenished somewhat,&uot; Daniels said.

He said he plans to check weather and crop data this week to see how much the rains helped.

&uot;Still, some fields are flooded, and this could delay planting of some crops, like corn, which will be planted as soon as weather permits,&uot; he said.

Daniels also said that once corn is planted, soybean and cotton planting will begin in mid-April and early May, respectively.