Water goes where it will.

homemade dam in vicksburg

HERE are maps of the mississippi flooding.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MISSISSIPPI_RIVER_FLOODING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-05-11-19-06-16

1997 flood of the mississippi
pics:
http://www.google.com/search?q=mississippi+flood&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1558&bih=860

more homemade dams HERE

picture from  http://theshambu.com/2011/05/mississippi-flooding/