Mississippi residents warned to evacuate as torrential rain threatens to flood Pearl River

Thunderstorms and a rising river could flood downtown Jackson, Miss., as early as Sunday night, according to local officials.

Days of torrential downpours have rapidly caused Pearl River to rise in the past week and could peak Sunday night into Monday morning at 36 feet. At that height, water is expected to gush through Jackson, the state’s capital, flooding streets and subdivisions and possibly even pouring into homes, according to WLBT.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency Saturday.

“The state of Mississippi is as prepared as possible for this flooding,” he said in a statement. “My administration, including [the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency], is monitoring this situation closely, and actively working to respond as quickly as possible to ongoing developments with flooding.”

A mailbox stands in floodwaters from heavy rains that have plagued the region in recent days on Foxboro Drive in northeast Jackson, Miss. (Hannah Mattix /)

More than 125,000 sandbags have already been deployed to Jackson and search and rescue teams are on standby.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has called for voluntary evacuations, especially in low-lying areas. Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee ordered a mandatory evacuation Saturday of the Harbor Pines Mobile Home Community, where they plan to cut the power as the water continues to rise.

In February 2020, Pearl River peaked just above 36 feet, driving out residents in the flood. Many of those same areas are expected to be affected.

The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District said Saturday that the water could stick around for up to 10 days.