Floods Close Some Mississippi Casino
BALDWIN: Got some news here just into CNN. Here is what we know right now. An American Airlines flight headed from Miami to San Francisco was forced to make an emergency landing in Las Vegas earlier today. According to an airport spokesperson, the plane was diverted, simply precautionarily, after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit. The plane landed safely, no injuries reported. We are making phone calls. As soon as we get more information, I will pass it along to you. Also, concern is rising, right along with the flooding there, on the Mississippi River. Look at these pictures. Today, the Coast Guard announced it is closing parts of the river to commercial traffic. It could remain closed, they say, for at least a week. But, obviously, this -- this flooding has huge economic impacts here on farmers, manufacturers who rely on the Mississippi River each and every day to get their goods to market. Also today, more people are being told they have to leave, they have to evacuate. I want you to listen to what the head of the Mississippi River Commission has to say.</s>WALSH: There is a report from the National Weather Service that this event, this rain event that we have had in the last two weeks is 600 percent more than normal.</s>BALDWIN: In Memphis, Tennessee, they are filling sandbags to try to hold back the rising river. The water level there is expected to reach nearly 48 feet next week. Folks, that is 13 feet above flood stage. CNN's David Mattingly is in Memphis, where people are obviously very closely watching the river rise.</s>DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): City parks already flooded and water creeping closer to houses by the day. People of Memphis watch the rising Mississippi River and wonder.</s>LEE STREATER, MEMPHIS RESIDENT: How high will the water get, you know? Who is most at risk? Which land sits lower?</s>MATTINGLY: The Mississippi River floods of 2011 are expected to break records to the north of Memphis this weekend, and then continue setting high watermarks as far south as Baton Rouge. The river is expected to crest in Memphis at 48 feet above flood stage, the highest it's been in generations. (on camera): Memphis hasn't seen that much water since the disastrous floods of 1937. Back then, city officials tell me the river rose all the way to here, where I'm standing, which is four blocks away from the river banks. (voice-over): But there have been big changes since to keep the river back. A system of flood walls, gates and levees developed since the 1950s should keep the city dry. But it's a system that's never been hit with this much water.</s>BOB NATIONS, SHELBY COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: They have never been tested. All of the subject matter experts are telling us, we can have a high confidence level.</s>MATTINGLY: Army Corps of Engineers blowing levees to divert floodwaters into Missouri farmland slowed the water's arrival downriver. Officials around Memphis are using the time to prepare. A call has gone out to volunteers to fill sandbags for government buildings and hospitals. The hope is they won't be needed.</s>BALDWIN: David Mattingly, thank you in Memphis there. And, you know, the water is getting so high along the Mississippi River that many casinos are forced to close. Take a look at Harrah's Casino. This is Tunica, Mississippi, right along the river. Every day, the floodwaters keep creeping up and up and up. And it finally had to close this week, other casinos following suit as well. In fact, at one point, a SWAT team armed with a machine gun showed up at a casino just to help Brink's security guards remove millions of dollars in cash. I want to bring in Valerie Morris. She is with Caesars Entertainment, the owner of some of those Mississippi casinos. And with all the money in-house, all the jobs dependent on casino business there, Valerie, this -- this may not have been a very light decision for you.</s>VALERIE MORRIS, REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT: No, actually, it has been very difficult for Tunica County, because it is $87 million worth of gross gaming revenue during the month of May that is going to be lost. And for local and state governments, it is close to $10 million in taxes. So, it definitely was a very difficult decision to make, but the safety and the security of our employees, of our guests are what -- utmost importance. And that is where the decision had to be made.</s>BALDWIN: How high is the river around your casino?</s>MORRIS: It's around 41 feet right now.</s>BALDWIN: And as you watch</s>MORRIS: And we actually have three casinos.</s>BALDWIN: Three casinos, and as you are watching the river rise and rise and rise. I mean, put in perspective for us, I know you talked the dollar amount already, but this is big business for your part in town. So, when these casinos -- if the casinos were flooded, what happens?</s>MORRIS: Well, actually, it's just lost revenue. But what I can say is that Caesars Entertainment has made the commitment to pay our employees, both toke and tip, for the duration of the closure through May. So, that is a huge commitment that we've done so our employees are not affected. From a gross gaming revenue, obviously, that is a loss to the entire state, the county, and, of course, to our own company. So, in all actuality, what we're trying to do is mitigate any damage we possibly can so we can get open as soon as possible.</s>BALDWIN: What about, though, the security issue, and the millions of the dollars inside of these casinos? You mentioned you have three. I mean, talk to me just about the security effort to get the money out of there safely?</s>MORRIS: Well, it's a standard procedure because we do drops all of the time when the casinos are open, based on the moving money. It's just a matter that all of the money needed to be removed from Harrah's and the Horseshoe and the Tunica Roadhouse casinos, our three properties, and it's just millions and millions of dollars that needed to get off of the casino barges to insure their safety to put them back in the bank and so that when we're ready to reopen, that we have those dollars safe and secure.</s>BALDWIN: And what is next? Does you -- I know you are in Memphis right now, but, as you and your employee who you say that you're still, you know, paying as you watch the water levels rise -- is there anything that you can do?</s>MORRIS: All we can do is to mitigate as much as possible of the damage. We had over 200 employees the day before yesterday, sandbagging all of the casinos at Horseshoe and Roadhouse. It's over 20,000 sandbags to try and mitigate any damage. We also are having our employees out volunteering and working with all the other disaster relief programs that are possibly out there. So, all we can do is to wait for Old Man River to tell us what is going to happen, and do the best we can with what we're given.</s>BALDWIN: Old Man River, go down. Valerie Morris, thank you very much.</s>MORRIS: Absolutely.</s>BALDWIN: Live for me in Memphis. And they are known as the SEAL Team Six, the Navy's elite of the elite, and it's the group that carried off one of the nation's most secretive commando missions. So, have you wondered what it would actually take to be one of these guys? I will speak to a former Navy SEAL commander, former member of Navy SEAL Team Six. That is next. Also, we want to remind, we are awaiting President Obama. He is in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In fact, we've learned that he's been speaking with some of the members of that elite SEAL Team Six today. Although, of course, we won't get to see who they are, certainly, the president does. But we will be seeing him speaking in front of some 220 troops there, members of the 101st Airborne -- what did say? Twenty-two hundred troops there, members of the 101st Airborne Division there in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. We will bring you live pictures as soon as we see the president, coming up.