(CNN) — As record-setting rain and rising river waters threaten to seep into their homes, residents in Jackson, Mississippi, are once again packing up their belongings and hoping for the best.
The city — still dealing with the toll of historic flooding in 2020 — is bracing for more damage as the state’s Pearl River is predicted to crest Monday morning at 35.5 feet.
The mark is just shy of major flood stage, which is 36 feet at this point along the river, according to the United States Geological Survey, and lower than previously anticipated. But it’s still high enough to flood streets.
As many as 150 homes were expected to be affected by the ensuing flooding, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said Saturday, telling residents to “get out now.”
“We need our residents to take heed to these warnings and move out quickly,” Lumumba told CNN’s Amara Walker on New Day Sunday.
Authorities are warning communities facing the highest risk are the same ones affected by the flood more than two years ago.
In February 2020, the Pearl River reached its third-highest crest on record at 36.7 feet, flooding several neighborhoods in northeast and downtown Jackson, damaging some homes beyond repair and leaving extensive amounts of debris.
“Before we can even recover from the first weather event, we’re already being challenged by another one,” Lumumba said.
Jackson resident Shawn Miller’s home suffered $60,000 in damage during the 2020 flood, he told CNN,and it cost thousands more to relocate his family for five for six months on his own dime.
Miller thought his family took the right precautions to prevent water from coming in, he said,but it wasn’t enough.
“You can’t control it. I had 50 sandbags, and it didn’t do nothing,” Miller said, adding he “came back and still had about a foot in the water damage inside the home.”
Water was once again on the street outside his home Sunday, and he was wary.
“It’s a little bit concerning,” Miller said. “You cut the power off, you’re leaving the house, you pretty much have to pick up and leave. You no longer have a home … you just got to come back and hope for the best.”
While river levels this week aren’t expected to reach the same levels as 2020, Lumumba told CNN it is not a reason to underestimate the threat.
The Ross R. Barnett Reservoir inflows crested Sunday morning, but “there is still a lot of water that must flow downstream,” according to a Sunday release from the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District. The 33,000-acre reservoir provides water to Jackson and is upstream of the city.
“Water will be in several streets in Jackson and could begin approaching some homes and businesses,” water district officials said.
A city more prepared this time
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency Saturday due to the rising river waters and urged residents to remain calm. The state began work assessing water levels along the river using drones and deployed more than 100,000 sandbags, according to the declaration.
“The state of Mississippi is as prepared as possible for this flooding,” Reeves said.
Authorities are preparing for potential search and rescue operations, clearing areas of debris, distributing sandbags to residents, and providing public transportation to help with evacuations, according to Lumumba.
The mayor said officials are better equipped this time around and have been able to better instruct residents on how to prepare for the flood by taking pictures of their property and locating their critical documents.
“Unfortunately, because we have seen these events as recently as 2020, we have a reference point, and we know the damage that can occur,” Lumumba said.
“Whether or not we have the same number of homes that are affected this time, for those homes that are affected, that’s a handful too many that can be impacted,” the mayor said. “So, we want to make sure that we have the mitigation after we have recovery, that this no longer has to be commonplace in the city of Jackson.”
Miller agreed government officials have done a better job informing residents of the flooding threat than in 2020, when he was surprised to come home to find water coming down the street and his neighbor packing up.
More rain is becoming ‘commonplace’ and it’s taking a toll, mayor says
Residents in Jackson and other parts of Mississippi saw heavy rains for several days last week as a slow-moving weather system brought flooding which forced evacuations, washed away roads, derailed a train, soaked homes and prompted numerous rescues.
“Our residents have been inundated with persistent rain over the last few days. So we already have been contending with flash flooding, and so it is quite a toll on our residents,” Lumumba said.
Flood warnings remain in effect until further notice along the Pearl River, including in Jackson, Mississippi, according to the National Weather Service office in Jackson.
Moderate flooding is already being reported along the river and is expected to continue through much of Wednesday as the river levels remain higher than usual.
By Sunday evening, the river levels were at 35.28 feet and were on track to crest at 35.5 feet Monday morning.
At that height, water would be flooding some Northeast Jackson streets close to the river as well as dozens of streets in downtown Jackson, and approaching homes in the Hightower area, according to NWS.
“Quite honestly this has become commonplace. We’re experiencing more rain in our rainy season, hotter summers and colder winters, and it has taken a toll on our infrastructure,” Lumumba said.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms remain in the forecast for the Jackson area and much of the southern states Monday, according to CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink.
The good news is additional widespread flooding is not expected across this area over the next several days despite scattered thunderstorms being in the forecast. However, some storms could bring bouts of isolated heavy rain, Brink said.
(Copyright (c) 2024 CNN. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)