Flash Flood Emergency over Heavy Rain Issued for Jackson, Mississippi

Flash flood emergency has been issued for Jackson, Mississippi, as an unprecedented heavy rain battered the state capital city and other areas.

Various reports suggested that an overnight torrential rain from Tuesday to Wednesday, August 23 to August 24, flooded roads and highways around central Mississippi, including in Hinds County.

This prompted the issuance of the highest flood warning.

Several inches of rain have been reported not only across Jackson but also in Okahatta, Hubbard, and Ofahoma since Wednesday morning.

Weather-trained spotters claimed there have been at least 28 flash flooding incidents, as flood waters pummeled through small routes, roadways, and highways, including Interstate 20 (I-20).

This prompted some people to stand on top of their cars to avoid the raging waters.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities from the weather event. However, there are circulating reports that a truck fell off a highway due to flood damage, resulting in an unspecified number of injuries as of Wednesday afternoon.

The inclement weather also put road traffic movement into a halt for the affected communities, as well as disrupting residential and commercial areas in Mississippi.

Weather System

In recent days, the National Weather Service (NWS) and other US weather authorities have been issuing recurring weather warnings for the movement of a weather system from the Southern Plains to the Lower Mississippi Valley.

The greatest weather hazard from the system are heavy downpours and flash flooding, which already hit a number of areas over the South US.

In Texas, the northern parts of the state, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has been inundated by floodwaters, surprising some Dallas residents who woke up of the once perceived insurmountable flooding in their neighborhoods.

The adverse weather came after the Southwest witnessed similar events, which killed two people, submerged vehicles, casinos, and entertainment establishments in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as its adjacent states, according to USA Today.

Flash Flood Emergency Warnings

Traffic cameras of the Mississippi Department of Transportation also recorded the flooded roadways around Jackson, with some cars seen plowing through floodwaters, which were seemed undeterred of the dangerous situation, AccuWeather reported.

The life-threatening situations also led to numerous rescues, as floodwaters not only threatened highways but also partially submerged cars and trees.

This prompted the issuance of the "multiple rare flash-flood emergency warnings" by the NWS at noon on Wednesday, according to The Washington Post.

Road closures also occurred across the state, including a portion of I-20 westbound in Scott County, east of Jackson, according to the Department of Transportation, as cited by The Weather Channel.

Other Mississippi Areas Affected

As mentioned earlier, the extent of the damage in Mississippi goes beyond Jackson.

Related incidents of flash flooding have been reported in the nearby Florence, where over 100 children and employees of a local daycare were rescued.

Significant flooding also transpired in Canton, which is just north of Jackson, where floodwaters elevated all the way to the bottom of street signs.

Meanwhile, floodwaters reached a nursing home in Brandon, located east of Jackson, where cars, shrubs, and trees were seen submerged in a video shared on Twitter, where it can be seen its streets resembled that of a river, according to AccuWeather.