Experts say if heavy rains stay to the south, flood projections will hold
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials said original projections of the Pearl River cresting at 36 feet Tuesday in Jackson are holding as overnight rains Thursday were mostly south of Jackson.
The comments came during a 1 p.m. Friday press conference and depending on what the next 24 to 48 hours bring, the 36 foot projected crest by Tuesday could rise or fall depending on the rainfall amounts.
Meanwhile, all officials are urging residents of low-lying areas to prepare their homes for flooding and to evacuate immediately as the water is already rising along roadways in lower lying areas.
John Sigman, reservoir general manager, said his agency at Pearl River Water will do what it can but that nothing is certain.
"A whole lot of water has come into the reservoir and it has to go through," Sigman said. "What comes in has to go out. We can retain very little water. But we are and will continue to hold as much as possible, and we will use all of the capacity in the lake that we have."
The issue this year as opposed to the last major flood in the area in 2020 is that the reservoir wasn't as full two years ago. Therefore, anymore rains north of the reservoir will leave no choice but to keep opening the dam to allow water through to the south which will flood the city more than officials are currently projecting.
Pearl River Valley Water Supply increased the discharge from the reservoir this morning and the lake currently stands at 298.13 feet above sea level. The agency cannot and will not allow the lake to get to 300 feet above sea level.
"We are very fortunate that the rains that fell (Thursday) were south of the lake," the National Weather Service's Marty Pope said. "We had some massive flash flooding last evening, but the heavy rains were to the south. What little rain we did have to the north did not hurt us any. The good news is that the rivers and streams above the reservoir are either falling or holding steady."
Pope said the only rise in water right now is at the upper end of Ross Barnett Reservoir.
"We expect the level of the Pearl River to be at 34.5 to 35 feet by morning and then we will see where we stand," Pope said. "Afternoon storms are what we are looking at and those could come anywhere. We would prefer for them to occur south of the lake instead of north of the lake."
Lumumba continued to urge residents in low-lying areas to have a plan to leave their home as the waters rise. He asked residents not to worry about their property, saying the Jackson Police Department and the Hinds County Sheriff's Department have plans to monitor and patrol affected areas to protect property.
Mississippi flooding: Voluntary evacuations urged as Pearl River rises in Jackson
Live blog: More rain Friday could lead to more flash flooding. What you need to know
"Do not risk your life for your property," Lumumba said. "We have a plan and we will protect your property."
All officials on hand made mention that this flood is not a short event as the river's crest is not expected until Tuesday and flood waters could persist for days and even up to two weeks after the crest.
Lumumba said the city's transit system will help people evacuate. However, buses will not travel through flood waters and the mayor stressed to make a plan before the flood waters rise.
Sandbags available
Sandbags are already available at 4225 Michael Avalon Street in Jackson until 5 p.m. today and will be available for pickup on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Shelters
One shelter for those fleeing flood waters is open at the Jackson Police Academy at 3000 St. Charles Street. Another shelter will be opened by the city and announced as needed.
School buses
Jackson Public Schools expects there to be some disruption of school buses in the coming days but won't know until they know the exact places where there will be flooding. They urged parents and students to be aware of any updates as they come.
How to get help, information
Jackson officials say if anyone has issues with mobility or transportation to leave their home because of potential flooding, they should call 311 as soon as possible. If residents can't get through on 311, the city advises them to call the Jackson Police Department's non-emergency number at 601-960-1234 or the Hinds County Emergency Operations Center at 601-968-6771. These numbers are available 24 hours.
What areas are in Jackson's voluntary evacuation order?
Any area near the Pearl River
Upper Northeast Jackson
Westbrook Road
River Road
S. West Street area
Hightower community
Silas Brown Street
Neighborhoods in Jackson are most frequently affected by flooding:
Belhaven
Fondren
Presidential Hills
Midtown
Hemingway Circle
Casa Grande
Choctaw Road off State Street
Major creeks in the city are also particularly prone to flooding:
Hanging Moss
Purple Creek
Town Creek
Eubanks Creek
Pearl River at 34 feet
City garage area off S. Jefferson Street
Eastover area
Foxboro Street
Galilee Street
Martin & Hinds streets
Old Brandon Road
President Street - south end
Sidney Street
South West Street - Union Planter s
South West Street - Randy's Upholstery parking lot
Rosemary Road east of Terry Road
Riverwood Drive - east of Harrow Drive
Westbrook Road - east of Sedgewick Drive
Yucca Drive
Pearl River at 35 feet
Annie Street
Beasley Street
City garage area off S. Jefferson Street
Cypress Trail
Deer Trail
Eastover area
Foxboro Street
Galilee Street
Greenwood Avenue at Hardy Creek
Hudson Street - east end
Martin & Hinds streets
McNuitt Street
Nichols Street
Offutt Street
Old Brandon Road
President Street from South Silas Brown Street - south end
River cove area
River Glenn area
North River Road
Riverwood/Harrow drives
Rollingwood at Yucca Drive - south end
Rosemary Road east of Terry Road
Sidney Street
South West Street - Union Planter s
South West Street - Randy's Upholstery parking lot
Westbrook Road - east of Sedgewick Drive
Yucca Drive
Pearl River at 37 feet
Annie Street
Beasley Street
Beatty & Rankin streets at Silas Brown Street
Canterbury Court
Canton Club Circle at Sedgewick Drive
Canton Club Circle - northeast end
City garage area off S. Jefferson Street
Congress Street
Cypress Trail
Deer Trail
Dunbarton Drive - west end
Eastover area
Foxboro Street
Galilee Street
Greenwood Avenue at Hardy Creek
Harrow Drive
Hinds Street
Hudson Street - east end
Julienne Street
Linde Air Trailer Court
Martin & Hinds streets
McNuitt Street
Meadow Oaks Park Drive
Moncure Road
Nichols Street
Offutt Street
Old Brandon Road
President Street from South Silas Brown Street - south end
Rankin Street
River cove area
River Glenn area
North River Road
Riverwood/Harrow drives
Rollingwood South
Rollingwood at Yucca Drive - south end
Rosemary Road east of Terry Road
Santa Clara Circle
Sedgewick Drive & Canton Club Circle
Sidney Street
Silas Brown between Congress & West streets
South West Street - Union Planter s
South West Street - Randy's Upholstery parking lot
Sproles Street
State Street
Stokes Robinson Road
Twin Lakes Circle off Greenbriar and Pebble lanes.
Westbrook Road - east of Sedgewick Drive
Village Park Mobile Homes
Yucca Drive
Pearl River at 38 feet
Amhurst Street near Meadow Oak
Annie Street
Argyle Street
Armour Drive - Dendron Drive to Yucca Drive
Beasley Street
Beatty & Rankin streets at Silas Brown Street
Canterbury Court
Canton Club Circle at Sedgewick Drive
Canton Club Circle - northeast end
Clearbrook Road - north of Stokes Robinson Road
Congress - south and north of Silas Brown Street
Conner Avenue
City garage area off S. Jefferson Street
Congress Street
Cypress Trail
Deer Trail
Dunbarton Drive - west end
Eastover area
Edmar Place
Elton Road
Farrish Street - south end
Foxboro Drive
Gallatin Street - from Julienne Street to Lynch Creek
Galilee Street
Greenwood Avenue at Hardy Creek
Gum - just west of Nichols Street
Harrow Drive
Hinds Street
Hudson Street - east end
Interstate 55 -north and south of Hardy Creek including ramps
Insurance Center Drive
Julienne Street
Lakeside Drive - east of Lakewood Drive
Lakeward Drive
LaSalle Street
Lelia Drive
Linde Air Trailer Court
Manor Drive
Martin & Hinds streets
McNuitt Street
Meadow Oaks Park Drive
Moncure Road
Nichols Street
Oklahoma Street
Offutt Street
Old Brandon Road
President Street from South Silas Brown Street - south end
Rankin Street
River cove area
River Glenn area
North River Road
Riverwood/Harrow drives
Rollingwood South
Rollingwood at Yucca Drive - south end
Rosemary Road east of Terry Road
Santa Clara Circle
Sedgewick Drive & Canton Club Circle
Sidney Street
Silas Brown between Congress & West streets
South West Street - Union Planter s
South West Street - Randy's Upholstery parking lot
Sproles Street
St. Andrews Drive
State Street
Stokes Robinson Road
Twin Lakes Circle off Greenbriar and Pebble lanes.
Westbrook Road
West Street
Wild Valley Drive
Wilmington Street
Winged Foot Circle
Village Park Mobile Homes
Yucca Drive
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Friday press conference for Jackson flood
