A Flood Watch, plus more Rain in the Forecast

HATTIESBURG, MISS. – Mississippi residents gear-up for round two of more rain, and the Pine Belt area expects to see another five inches of rain overnight, causing many residents to expect the worst but hope for the best.

“We are under a flash flood watch until 6 a.m. in the morning,” Forrest County’s Emergency Management Director, Glen Moore said. This flash flood comes exactly one week after the Pine Belt saw heavy rain last Thursday (Dec. 27) and Friday (Dec. 28), causing rivers and creeks to overflow with water. “The National Weather Service has us at an elevated threat,” Moore explained. Mississippi’s Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) expects another five inches of rain to hit by Friday morning. MEMA officials encourage residents to grab a sandbag or two at following location listed below…

1.) Hattiesburg Fire Department #1 [810 Main St, Hattiesburg, Miss.] 2.) Forrest County Emergency Operations Center [U.S. 11, Hattiesburg, Miss.] 3.) Petal Fire Department #1 [102 Fairchild Dr, Petal, Miss]

“One other thing is Red Cross will be opening the shelter today at noon, at the Petal Civic Center [712 South Main St],” Moore said. Emergency management officials encourage residents affected by the flood to visit the shelter for a warm place to stay. Also, residents should be on the lookout for barricades and high water when driving Thursday night. “We had a lot of people that went around those barricades that resulted in us having to do a swift water rescue whenever their vehicles got swept off of the roadway,” Moore said. “We are asking people to pay attention to those barricades and don’t go around them.” Motorists caught driving around the barricades could receive a fine. In the meantime, emergency management and county officials encourage residents to stay off of the roads and be safe Thursday night.