'Leave now': Mississippi residents urged to evacuate urgently due to flood threat

The mayor of Jackson, Mississippi's largest city, urged residents on August 27 to "leave now." Record rains threaten to flood the streets and houses of the village over the next two days, writes CNN.

Photo: IStock

Authorities previously predicted the Pearl River would peak at 36 feet (11 meters) by August 30 due to rain, but the river is now expected to peak between Sunday evening and Monday evening (August 28-29). ) before the water level begins to slowly decrease.

Jackson Chokwe Mayor Antar Lumumba said on Sunday (August 28) morning that people should leave the city "as soon as possible", saying there was a threat of a repeat of the devastating flooding that hit the city in February 2020.

“Unfortunately, because we have seen these events as recently as 2020, we have a benchmark and we know how much damage can be caused,” he said. “If we risk the life of even one person, it’s too much.”

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A city's flood stage is considered "major" when the Pearl River reaches 26 feet (7,9 m). If the river reaches 34 feet (10,4 m), dozens of streets in downtown Jackson are predicted to be flooded; at 35,8 feet (10,9 m) - water will approach homes in northeast Jackson.

“We expect water to start arriving in the city as early as Sunday (August 28) evening,” Lumumba said.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency in the region on August 27 due to rising water levels in the Pearl River and urged residents to remain calm. The state has already begun assessing water levels along the river using drones and has delivered more than 100 sandbags to residents, he said.

“The state of Mississippi is as prepared as possible for this flood,” Reeves said. “My administration, including the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, is closely monitoring this situation and is actively working to respond to current events as quickly as possible.”

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2020 Mississippi flood

This will not be the first time the Pearl River has reached such a high level. Several areas in the northeast and downtown Jackson were flooded in February 2020. Then the Pearl River reached its third highest peak on record, the water level in it then stood at 36,7 feet (11,2 m).

Authorities warn that communities hit by floods in 2020 are likely to experience flooding this year as well.

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