Officials have asked some residents of central Mississippi, including Jackson, to evacuate ahead of flooding that peaks Monday and could affect as many as 150 homes.
The Pearl River, swollen by heavy rains that began Aug. 22, is expected to reach a height of 35.5 feet Monday morning, said Marty Pope, senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Jackson. I’m here.
This figure is 6 inches lower than originally predicted, meaning that some of the buildings that might otherwise have been flooded could be spared. In the northeast Jackson subdivision, there was water in the streets as of Sunday morning, but the floodwaters had yet to reach any homes.
“So far, we’ve seen mostly water in the streets,” Pope said. “If you don’t go up any further, you can stay away from large structures.”
In Jackson, 100 to 150 homes could be affected, said Melissa Payne, spokeswoman for the mayor’s office.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves State of emergency declared on Saturday in anticipation of the flood. “People in flooded areas are advised to be vigilant, take appropriate precautions and evacuate if necessary,” Reeves said. said in a statement.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has deployed 126,000 sandbags.Also advised the residents Take photos of valuables, save copies of important documents, lift and secure utilities and wires, and clean up debris.
shelter was open at the Jackson Police Training Academy in Jackson and the Madison United Methodist Church in Madison.
“Search and rescue teams are on standby and ready to respond at the request of local emergency managers,” the emergency management agency said.
The flow over the dam on the Ross R. Barnett Reservoir, a 33,000-acre lake northeast of Jackson, has been increased to reduce the likelihood of the reservoir failing.The flow at that time was dropped on saturday and expected to be held at those rates until Mondayaccording to the Pearl River Valley Water District.
In recent days, neighborhoods where flood warnings have been in place have been flooded with moving trucks and vans to move residents’ valuables, said Joey Perkins, the Hines County emergency manager. . The flood is expected to subside in seven to ten days.
Perkins said the warning is reminiscent of the state’s 2020 floods, which affected about 150 homes. He said officials do not expect damage to exceed 2020 levels.
Because this storm is during the summer, evaporation and absorption of water by vegetation are likely to help mitigate some of the flooding, Pope said.The 2020 storm occurred in the winter. .
More than 20 people have already contacted Shay Walker, a licensed mold inspector in New Orleans, about restoration work after the floodwaters receded.
She worked in the aftermath of hurricanes in the South, removing black mold that was dangerous to human health and helping people navigate insurance.
Much of the damage she saw was caused when multiple natural disasters occurred in succession, where the necessary repairs were not made after one disaster and exacerbated by another.