Feb 18, 2020 - Science

Heavy rain expected to pummel already-flooded Mississippi

Rashaan Ayesh

Flooding on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 in Savannah, Tenn. — This drone photo shows flooding on Feb. 15. Photo: Melvin Martin/Hardin County Fire Department, Savannah, Tennessee, via AP

More rain is expected to barrage Mississippi's already-flooded capital city of Jackson later on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The state of play: Heavy rain is projected to strike eastern Louisiana, central parts of Mississippi, Alabama and even into far western Georgia, the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, predicts, per AP. As much as 2 inches is expected to fall rapidly in Mississippi, prompting flash flood warnings.

Jackson authorities have warned hundreds of residents not to return home until they receive the go-ahead from officials, AP writes.
Hundreds of homes and businesses were inundated with floodwaters, the Wall Street Journal notes, and many have been damaged as a result, per the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
Mississippi's Pearl River already crested at 36 feet on Monday, overflowing its banks throughout Jackson. Eleven river gauges showed moderate flooding, and 47 showed minor flooding in Mississippi and surrounding states, according to the National Weather Service flood gauge map cited by the Journal.

The big picture: The Southeastern region of the U.S. has seen more frequent and intense flooding in recent years, but this past winter has seen near-record rainfall, AP writes.

Go deeper: NOAA warns of "unprecedented flood season" across U.S.

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Heavy rain expected to pummel already-flooded Mississippi

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