Mississippi floods create ‘precarious situation’ in capital
— Residents of Jackson braced Sunday for the possibility of catastrophic flooding in and around the Mississippi capital as the Pearl River rose precipitously after days of torrential rain.
Gov. Tate Reeves said the Pearl would continue to rise throughout the day, and he warned that the state faces a “precarious situation that can turn at any moment.”
Officials urged residents to pay attention to evacuation orders, check on road closures before traveling and stay out of floodwaters, warning that even seemingly placid waters could mask quickly moving currents and pollution. Law enforcement officials went door to door in affected areas, telling people to evacuate, Reeves said.
Rescuers performed four assisted evacuations Saturday, although they said none were needed overnight.
“We expect the river to continue to rise over the next 24 hours or so, “Reeves said at a news conference in Jackson. “We are not out of the woods yet.”
In the suburb of Flowood, John and Jina Smith had packed up as much as they could and left their home as waters rose Thursday.
On Sunday, their neighbor Dale Frazier took them back to their house in a rowboat, where they checked on the damage, then got in their own canoe and rowed away.
“We’ve been able to stay in here when the water gets up,” John Smith said. “But as you’ve watched it over the years, you know when to get out. It’s time to get out this time.”
A foot and a half of water was inside his house, Smith said. He’d already been in touch with a contractor and insurance agent about rebuilding. Both he and his wife say they love their home, where they can sit on their back porch and watch deer and other wildlife.
The National Weather Service said Sunday on its Twitter feed that the river was expected to crest Monday in the Jackson area at 37.5 feet. That’s slightly down from the 38-foot crest that had been forecast for Sunday. The weather service said the river is currently at 36.42 feet in Jackson — its highest level since 1983.
The Pearl’s highest recorded crest was 43.2 feet on April 17, 1979. The second-highest level occurred May 5, 1983, when the river rose to 39.58 feet.