could be days before the waters recede. reporter: man can only control the mississippi to a certain degree. and then the river takes over. and memphis, tennessee, braced for record flooding and watch as the water pours through. the second highest report on record. and we re still above stages we ve not seen here for a long time. reporter: the river pouring through low-lying areas forcing residents from their homes. president obama declaring a state of emergency in sell by county. i ve never seen the river like this and i wanted to be able to say i was in it and be part of the history. reporter: the harrah s cassina in tunica, mississippi, looks like a boat. gambling brings in $13 million in taxes each month and officials say 13,000 employees will be out of work as the rising rivers head from one state to the next, they fray the nerves of those forced to evacuate. the toughest thing is keeping my sense of humor. it s just sticks and stones. reporter: those who ho