At least two more inches of rain predicted for area

Published 8:46 pm Friday, March 11, 2016

The Vicksburg/Warren County area can expect more rain through Saturday as a low-pressure area continues its slow progress over Mississippi, Warren County Emergency Management Director John Elfer said.

“We can expect another 2 inches through Saturday. We’ve already had 7 inches of rain,” he said Friday afternoon.

Readings from the gage at the city’s Water Treatment Plant on Haining Road indicated early Friday the system had already dumped more than 5 inches on the area, causing ponding on some county roads and washing the soil from under U.S. 80 at Thorn Hill Drive, forcing the Mississippi Department of Transportation to close the east and westbound lanes of the highway to make repairs.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

According to MDOT’s website, the highway is expected to be closed for about two weeks, until March 25.

“The Big Black (River) is over Warriors trail, making it impassable,” Sheriff Martin Pace said. “That is an inconvenience to the people living in that area, because they can get around it by going through Bovina. Highway 80 is a major commuter route.”

Elfer said the rains were responsible for causing a sinkhole on Redwood Road, and damage to two homes. A tree fell on a house on Turnerville Road, he said, while flash flooding damaged a home on Highland Drive before receding.

In Vicksburg, a large tree behind an apartment building at the corner of National Street and South Washington Street fell, blocking National, forcing city Street Department crews to remove it with chainsaws. The tree crushed a car parked in the building’s parking lot.

“My wife and I were on our way to get in our car so I could take her to work,” said resident Chris Tucker, the car’s owner.

Willie Lee Taylor was sitting in his pickup next to the entrance to the parking lot when the tree fell.

“I sitting in my truck listening to the radio when it fell,” he said. “It missed the rear of my truck about this much (holding his hands about 7 to 8 inches apart). Like’d to have scared me to death.”

No one was injured.

The area received a break Friday afternoon, as an open section of the system passed through, but Pace said more rain was expected to hit Friday night and into early Saturday morning.

“We’ll be out, and hopefully nothing serious will happen,” he said.

 

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

email author More by John