Residents living near the Pearl River are being urged to seek higher ground because of historic levels of rain that have caused the river to swell, which could cause more damage than a 2020 flood event that inundated more than 600 homes.
The mayor of Jackson spoke at a news conference on March 8, 2021. The photo was taken by Michael M. Santiago.
The mayor of Jackson, Miss., said this week that the largest city in the state is preparing for the possibility of high-water rescues.
According to the Jackson gauge, the Pearl River is at 34.6 feet, but it is not expected to crest until Monday evening at 36 feet.
The 36-foot crest forecast is slightly lower than the 36.7 feet the Pearl River reached in 2020, 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.
The structure is not intended to be a flood control structure, but in 2020 it was able to absorb some water that would have otherwise caused flooding.
There were many high-water rescues in central Mississippi this week due to the heavy rains. The low pressure system that brought a 1-in-1,000-year flood to Dallas was the cause of the deluge. Near the end of a summer rife with extreme weather events across the U.S., the floods occur. More than three dozen people died as a result of flooding in eastern Kentucky in late July, just days after homes were flooded in St. Louis. Several roads in Montana were washed out by flooding in the summer. Extreme flooding and heat waves are some of the most visible effects of climate change.
There is a 50% chance of rain in Jackson over the weekend.
It is possible that part of the park may stay closed for a long time after the floods.
There have been four one-in-1,000 year rain events in the U.S.
The latest bout of extreme U.S. weather includes flash floods.
Flood projections will hold if the rains stay to the south.
The governor says the death toll in Kentucky will rise.
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