photos michael jackson wanted to have destroyed. good evening everyone. i m don lemon. the news starts right now. the legendary mississippi river is rewriting history tonight. for the first time in nearly 40 years the morganza spillways a opened today to divert the swollen river into the atchafalaya basin. it s a pressure valve to relieve the threat of flooding in beige and new orleans, but it means tiny communities could be under many feet of water and force thousands of people from their homes. this is what it looked like back in 1973. the one and only time this spillway had to be opened. the fact this spillway has not been opened in four decades underscores how serious this situation has become. for the next hour we ll be joined by general rousel honore, a high drydrologist and key correspondents. we want to get to ed lavandera
photos michael jackson wanted to have destroyed. good evening everyone. i m don lemon. the news starts right now. the legendary mississippi river is rewriting history tonight. for the first time in nearly 40 years the morganza spillways a opened today to divert the swollen river into the atchafalaya basin. it s a pressure valve to relieve the threat of flooding in beige and new orleans, but it means tiny communities could be under many feet of water and force thousands of people from their homes. this is what it looked like back in 1973. the one and only time this spillway had to be opened. the fact this spillway has not been opened in four decades underscores how serious this situation has become. for the next hour we ll be joined by general rousel honore, a high drydrologist and key correspondents. we want to get to ed lavandera wh was there when the spillway was opened earlier this afternoon. reporter: don, the first gate of the morganza spillway has been opened. you c