Topline
Mississippi officials are urging residents living near the Pearl River to seek higher ground due to historic levels of rainfall that have caused the river to swell, which they warn could cause more damage than a 2020 flood event that inundated more than 600 homes.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba (D) speaks during a news conference on March 8, 2021 in Jackson, … [+]
Key Facts
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba (D) of Jackson, Miss., has issued a voluntary evacuation order for several low-lying neighborhoods, and said this week that the state’s largest city is preparing for the possibility of making high-water rescues.
The Pearl River is at 34.6 feet at the Jackson gauge, but it’s not expected to crest until hitting 36 feet Monday evening, though forecasters caution that level could be higher or lower depending on how much rain the area receives this weekend.
The 36-foot crest forecast is slightly lower than the 36.7 feet the Pearl River reached in the 2020 flood that damaged 636 homes, but officials warn a critical factor that mitigated the severity of the 2020 flood is not around this time.
The Ross Barnett Reservoir, which lies to the north of Jackson, is essentially full, meaning any additional rainfall that flows into it will be released through a dam that will redirect the water southward toward the city.
Though the reservoir is not intended as a flood control structure, it was at a lower level in 2020 and able to absorb some water that would have otherwise contributed to urban flooding.
Key Background
Heavy rainfall led to numerous high-water rescues in central Mississippi this week, with some areas receiving up to a foot of rain. The deluge was from the same low pressure system that brought a 1-in-1,000-year flood to Dallas from Sunday into Monday. The floods come near the end of a summer rife with extreme weather events across the U.S., and rainfall in particular. More than three dozen people died as a result of flooding that ravaged the Appalachia region of eastern Kentucky in late July, which came days after homes were flooded in St. Louis. June flooding in Montana pushed the Yellowstone River to record levels, washing out several roads. Experts warn weather like extreme flooding and heat waves are some of the most immediate and noticeable impacts of climate change.
What To Watch For
There is a 50% chance of rain in Jackson both Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Further Reading
Part Of Yellowstone May Stay Closed For ‘Substantial Length Of Time’ After Flooding (Forbes)
U.S. Has Seen Four 1-In-1,000 Year Rainfall Events This Summer (Forbes)
Flash Floods Swamp St. Louis In Latest Bout Of Extreme U.S. Weather (Forbes)
Experts say if heavy rains stay to the south, flood projections will hold (Clarion Ledger)
Death Toll Hits 25 In Kentucky Flooding—And Expected To Rise, Governor Says (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/08/27/evacuations-ordered-in-mississippi-capital-for-historic-flooding/