This is part of a series by the staff of The Vicksburg Post looking back at the top stories of 2020.

The first few months of 2020 had people in Warren County and the Yazoo Backwater Area thinking of 2019.

A steady two-month diet of rain deluged the area. At the same time, the Mississippi River swollen by heavy rains in its upper basin began rising, reaching a crest of 50.2 feet in late April before falling, and the backwater reached 96.8 feet.

By the end of February, an estimated 20 inches of rain had fallen in the county.

The multiple days of heavy showers saturated the county’s soil, causing slides and road closures. City street workers Feb. 13 dealt with landslides in several areas. A damage estimate has not been determined.

In the county, mud and landslides at multiple sites on county roads caused damage estimated at $14 million.

A landslide at Riverfront Park forced city and county officials to shut the city’s most popular park on Feb.13 out of safety concerns.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation blocked a section of Highway 80 near Mount Alban Road after erosion collapsed the road, making it unsafe to drive on.

The road has since been repaired.

The Vicksburg National Military Park closed the National Cemetery after erosion undercut and collapsed the roadbed, causing a massive road failure and degrading part of the slope in the cemetery

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.

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