DAM SITUATION WORSENS
The situation at the Oktibbeha County Lake dam worsened overnight, according to county officials, as the area braces for more rain and increased watershed in the coming days that could put more pressure on the strained levee.
Oktibbeha County EMA said in its latest update that County Engineer Clyde Pritchard conducted multiple inspections Wednesday and found the lake has risen at least a foot overnight.
What's more, the county says meters monitoring the pressure still register heavy pressure on dam, in addition to "slight progression" on the landslide from yesterday.
At Wednesday afternoon's EMA briefing, county officials said mandatory evacuations would likely be called if the landslide on the levee reaches the pavement.
An independent measurement by the
Starkville Daily News on Wednesday afternoon, which was validated by a technician on scene monitoring the levee, showed the distance between the slide and the pavement was 6 feet, 3 inches.
District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard said during the briefing that the top of the landslide had not moved in the last 24 hours, but progression was
“There's lots of concern about where do we go from here? And are we going to continue to keep our fingers crossed or make a concerted effort to make sure safety is paramount and we do what it takes to remedy this situation.”
- District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard
detected at the “toe” of the landslide, likely the result of the increasing pressure on the levee.
Deputies have that area of the levee blocked off, but County Lake Road remains open to traffic going over the levee.
Sheriff Steve Gladney said deputies checked the levee throughout the night and would continue to do so, reporting back to dispatch every hour.
“We've got different staging areas at the county barn on [Highway] 389 and Adaton Church,” the sheriff said. “We have a good plan in place, it's just kind of a wait and see.”
Pritchard is expected to conduct another inspection at 7 a.m. this morning.
According to the action plan for the Oktibbeha County Lake, 130 homes and addresses would be impacted in the event of a total dam failure.
Additionally, Oktibbeha County EMA expressed its concerns with the 3-5 inches of rain expected this weekend and the possibility for increased watershed from the west.
“Watersheds, creeks and streams in a nearby 18-squaremile area flows through this area, so the National Weather Service is not expecting any significant rainfall [on Wednesday], but with the amount of pressure that continues to mount on the levee due to watershed, that's what a major concern is for us today. We may not get rainfall here today, but it's coming from other places because we are downstream from that watershed.”
While the county storm shelter on Lynn Lane is not open due to no one
precarious and depends on if the storm moves through fast or slow.
“We have a unique situation going on here because we have the dam failure impacting us and are also having to watch for potential flooding on the Tombigbee,” Williams said.
While the Tombigbee River is not flooding at the moment, Williams said they are getting everything in order in case multiple areas flood simultaneously.
“They are sending as much as they can downstream, but as of when I checked the levels this morning, it was a little over six feet from being at flood stage,” Williams said.
After the 2019 February flood, Williams said approximately 98 homes on the river were impacted, but it is unclear if and how the potential conditions of the river will impact residents.
“It is too far out for us to pinpoint how much rain we will actually get, but it is something we are keeping on our radar,” Williams said. “I checked the gauge this afternoon and the levels were going down.”
Depending on the rainfall, Williams said they are expecting the river's levels to continue receding, leaving the dam as the primary concern.
“We are working for the precautionary on both ends in case we do get that rain, and by getting that rain, the dam fails, and then the river comes up leaving us with flooding on both ends of the county,” Williams said.
Reiterating Williams' sentiment, Scott noted there is nothing more to do now than wait and take the necessary precautions to stay safe.
“It's a wait and see thing,” Scott said. “This is a wild card at the moment, and we just have to watch, but I ask everyone to not try to cross flooded roads. It is very easy to get swept up, and it could cost you your life.”