Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said one fatality has been reported in Franklin County related to the heavy rains and flooding. Reeves said a county road crew member was killed while assisting with storm cleanup operations.
The governor said the State of Mississippi continues to coordinate response efforts with local emergency managers and deploy resources as requested. Water rescues took place in Harrison County on Thursday and multiple roads were closed in George, Hancock, Harrison, Pearl River, and Stone counties.
Also, Reeves reported that the dam at Anchor Lake in Pearl River County is being monitored.
“At this time, according to MDEQ, the system is functioning as designed – water is flowing through the primary and auxiliary spillways. However, there is very little storage capacity remaining and there is additional precipitation predicted. If that happens, it could quickly overwhelm the spillways and compromise the structure. MDEQ’s dam safety director is en route to the scene and remains in communication with local officials. Homes within the potential inundation area are being notified by the Pearl River County Emergency Management Administrator,” the governor said Thursday evening. “Residents living near the East Hobolochitto Creek basin – particularly those east of Interstate 59 between East Boley Road and West Union Road – are encouraged to move to higher ground and remain alert for changing conditions. Approximately 30 homes are being evacuated as a precautionary measure.”