Mississippi vessels hit by low water
Nearly 100 boats and barges are waiting for passage along an 11-mile stretch of the Mississippi River that has been closed because of low water levels, the US Coast Guard said.
New Orleans-based Coast Guard spokesman Ryan Tippets said the stretch of river near Greenville, Mississippi, has been closed intermittently since August 11, when a vessel ran aground.
Water levels, exacerbated by heavy flooding last year, have dropped in the worst drought in years.