Torrential rains prompt flash flood emergency in Jackson, Mississippi
People resorted to standing on top of cars Wednesday after over 6 inches of rain led to a “life-threatening” flooding event.
Storm chaser Brandon Clement spoke with AccuWeather about the recent flash flooding in Mississippi, as well as across the southern United States.
Torrential rains Tuesday night into Wednesday resulted in flooding of roads and highways around central Mississippi, prompting a flash flood emergency across central portions of the state, including in Hinds County, where Jackson is located.
AccuWeather forecasters have been warning for days about the likelihood of flooding across the region. The National Weather Service (NWS) called the flooding a “life-threatening situation.”
Since Wednesday morning, more than 6 inches of rain has fallen across the city, and there have been at least 28 reports of flash flooding from weather-trained spotters. Rainfall totals over the past 24 hours saw even more landing in Okahatta (9.06 inches), Hubbard (8.09 inches) and Ofahoma (7.75 inches).
In Jackson, Mississippi, 5.05 inches of rain fell on Wednesday, which is 8% of Jackson's annual rainfall in one day. The city's annual rainfall on average is 57.35 inches.
According to WAPT, a local news source, the floodwaters have disrupted travel on Interstate 20.
According to storm chaser Brandon Clement, floodwaters overtook roadways in Canton, which is just north of Jackson. Water levels rose to the bottom of street signs, and Clement witnessed people standing on top of their cars for safety.
In a drone video shared on Twitter, cars could be seen parked on a bridge, with water surrounding both ends of the bridge.
In nearby Florence, more than 100 children and employees had to be rescued from rising waters at a local daycare, with Rankin County assisting the save with high-water rescue vehicles.
Just east of Jackson, in Brandon, floodwaters breached a nursing home. In a video shared on Twitter, cars, shrubs and trees could be seen partially submerged in the floodwaters. More than 40 residents of the home were evacuated, transferred to the Rankin County Safe Room, typically used for tornado and hurricane events.
The streets of Brandon looked more like a river during Wednesday afternoon:
Photos shared by Christana Kay, a meteorologist for WAPT, showed water levels up to the top of mailboxes in Brandon.
Tammy Boykin, a Brandon resident, told Patrick Ellis with WLBT, a local news station, that in the eight years she's lived in the neighborhood, it's never flooded like this.
Mississippi Department of Transportation traffic cameras caught video of the flooded roadways around Jackson. Cars continued to drive through the flooded roadways, seemingly undeterred by the dangerous situation.
In another video, which was shared by WLBT, the floodwaters were no deterrent for a FedEx driver who was making his rounds in the Castlewoods neighborhood on Wednesday.
Driving through floodwaters is never recommended. Each year, more deaths occur from flooding than from any other thunderstorm-related hazard, according to the NWS.
"Two feet of water can wash most vehicles away. Even one foot will do that for a smaller car," the NWS office in Jackson wrote on Twitter. "If you cannot see the road, you have no idea if it even exists still under the water. Water can collapse the roadbed, leaving nothing underneath the water. Turn around!"
Power outages climbed as the flash flood emergency unfolded. According to PowerOutage.US, more than 5,000 customers were without power as of Wednesday afternoon.
The severe weather threats in Mississippi expanded beyond Jackson Wednesday. Highway 489 in Newton County, 70 miles east of Jackson, was washed away due to flooding in that area. A truck fell off of the highway due to the damage, with injuries from the incident unknown as of Wednesday afternoon.
A tornado also touched down approximately 90 miles southeast of Jackson in Hattiesburg, leaving an ominous scene throughout the city during the brief touchdown.
Correction: This story previously reported that a flash flood emergency was in effect in Scott County, where Jackson, Mississippi, is located. The state capital is located in Hinds County not Scott County.
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