During a normal year, the talk of a tropical storm developing in the Gulf of Mexico, or even that storm growing into a minimal hurricane, would not cause the heartbeat of most Mississippians to skip a beat.

During a normal year, with temperatures in the 90s and heat indexes in the low 100s, the wind and rain from such a system might even be welcomed.

This is no normal year.

As every eye turns toward the Gulf of Mexico with what is expected to be Tropical Storm and maybe even Hurricane Barry in the coming days, the heartbeats of many in this area are racing.

We simply cannot take any rain.

With the Mississippi River hanging out above flood stage for now nearly 150 days and the Yazoo Backwater Area in their fifth month of floods and evacuations, we simply cannot take any rain.

With flood control structures at Steele Bayou and Sunflower, the backwater area — or bowl in this case — simply cannot take any rain.

While the counties along the Mississippi Gulf Coast will experience high winds and rains from this event, they are not dealing with an ever-present flood.

For those along the Mississippi River, especially those living in New Orleans, a tropical storm mixed with another historic flood, a heavy, rain-producing system like the one developing is the worst possible scenario.

Already there have been reports of flooding in New Orleans and worries about the levees that protect the city being topped is a real concern and likelihood.

We simply cannot take any rain.

While the amounts of rain this year are not drastically more than the average year, rain in the north and backwater flooding in and around the main Mississippi, have created havoc; havoc that we have experienced all to well.

Over the past few weeks we had thoughts of what might be when this flood finally recedes. With the news of a tropical system dumping unwanted rain on an already inundated area, we now worry we might never see this flood end.

Today, we pray for those in the direct path of this storm that loss of life will be avoided and damages light. We also pray the rain being dragged with this storm somehow, someway avoid our little neck of the flooded woods.