Mississippi coordinates response as flooding persists
The State of Mississippi and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency are coordinating response efforts with local, state and federal partners as flooding continues across portions of south Mississippi after the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur, officials said Friday.
One storm-related fatality has been reported in Franklin County, and heavy rainfall has caused road closures, power outages, and damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure, according to MEMA. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is monitoring the dam at Anchor Lake in Pearl River County and says the system is functioning as designed with water flowing through the primary and auxiliary spillways.
MDEQ is also monitoring a dam at Swan Lake in Harrison County after erosion undermined part of the structure. Harrison County work crews are building a coffer dam in front of the spillway to limit impact, and officials currently consider it a low-hazard threat with minimal downstream effect, the agency said.
Counties reporting damage include Forrest, Franklin, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Lawrence, Pearl River, Rankin, Stone and Walthall. There are approximately 2,600 power outages statewide. MEMA has deployed four swift water rescue teams to south Mississippi, and the American Red Cross is operating shelters in Hancock, Harrison and Stone counties. Open facilities include Kiln Safe Room, 18324 Highway 43, Kiln; Saucier-Lizana Road Safe Room, 23715 Saucier-Lizana Road, Saucier; Ferris B. O’Neal Senior Center, 1240 South Magnolia Drive, Wiggins; and safe rooms in Picayune, Carriere and Poplarville at 501 Laurel Street, 7431 Highway 11 South and 124 Rodeo Street, respectively.
The National Weather Service says additional heavy rain will continue, with as much as 3 inches possible and locally higher amounts that could produce further flooding and damaging wind gusts. Officials urge residents to stay informed through local forecasts and emergency alerts, avoid driving through flooded roadways and follow guidance from local authorities. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
