Flooding on the Mississippi River recently caused officials to close Fitzgerald’s Casino and Hotel in Tunica as water covered Lucky Lane, the access road to the casino. The building itself and parking lots remained dry.
Tunica County deputies and casino security personnel manned a roadblock and instructed visitors to turn around. Tunica County Emergency Management Director Leron Weeks said the flooding is not as bad as the historic levels of 2011, but people still need to exercise caution. “Due to the river still rising, it poses a safety concern to our citizens, patrons and employees alike,” he said.
Tunica County crews brought in tons of dirt to rebuild some of the road’s shoulders and to create a dam to keep water from causing further erosion. The water was pumped from behind the dike and the casino reopened just days later.
The other six Tunica casinos remained open. The river was expected to start to recede on Friday, March 8.
