Caruthersville sits on the Mississippi behind a flood levee

Caruthersville is the seat of Pemiscot County, down in the Bootheel. It sits right on the Mississippi River, which is less common for Missouri towns. Most are set back from the water.

Because the town is so close to the river, a flood barrier is part of its basic layout. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District, helps build and maintain the Mississippi River floodwall here. In recent years the Corps broke ground on a project to replace the Caruthersville floodwall.

If you live here or plan to buy, flood risk and flood insurance are real, everyday concerns. That is also why folks pay close attention to river-stage forecasts.

To learn how a specific property could flood, check the official FEMA flood maps and ask the levee authority, rather than going on general impressions. River levels and flood status can change fast, so current official sources are the thing to check.