Mississippi flooding will soon recede, minimal damage reported: Officials
Flood waters in central Mississippi have peaked and will soon recede, officials said on Monday.
Officials projected on Saturday that water levels would reach 36 feet on Monday, but were measured at a peak of 35.37 as of Monday morning, a spokesperson from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency told ABC News.
Only one home had water actually breach the structure and no injuries or deaths have been reported due to the floods, Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said at a press conference on Monday.
Officials at the Ross R Barnett Reservoir, connected to Pearl River, said they increased the discharge of water from 55,000 cubic feet of water per second to 60,000. This continued for Sunday and Monday morning, ABC News Jackson affiliate WAPT said.
Officials said at Monday's press conference that they were able to reduce the flows out of the reservoir by another 10,000 cubic feet per second and are working to reduce even more.
Marty Pope, service hydrologist at the National Weather Service, said it will take several days for the water to continue falling downstream. However, Pope predicts the water level will crest at 33 feet on Wednesday and could be as low as 28 feet on Thursday.
Pope said at a press conference Monday that while there will be scattered rains throughout the rest of the week, the lowering levels are a “very positive thing.”
Officials said residents should wait to get clearance in their areas before moving back into their homes. Once they return, residents should report any damage.
Two shelters remain open in the area, one in Jackson and one in Madison. According to officials, one person stayed in each of the shelters on Sunday night.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued a State of Emergency for parts of central Mississippi on Saturday, to “allow our state agencies to better assist in our response efforts and carry out their emergency responsibilities.”
According to Reeves, the state has deployed 126,000 sandbags to help residents block water from entering their homes. Reeves also reported that search and rescue teams are on standby and prepared to respond to local authorities' needs.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency had drones in the air to assess water levels along the Pearl River, Reeves said.
Last week, evacuations drew residents from their homes in the area, including dozens of elderly people evacuated from a senior living facility.
The Pearl River area experienced severe flooding in 2020, when water levels crested at 36.67 feet.
