JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Upward of five inches of rain fell overnight Tuesday in areas of north-central, central and south Mississippi, raising concerns of more moderate flooding along rivers and tributaries.
Record rainfall was reported in Meridian and Greenwood while the 4.22 inches that fell in the Vicksburg area in the past 24 hours failed to surpass the record 4.38 inches in 1967.
Meridian had 2.69 inches breaking a record of 2.43 in 1928. Greenwood got 3.31 inches, exceeding the record of 2.42 in 1996. There was 2.94 inches of rain in the Jackson area.
Meteorologist Anna Weber with the National Weather Service in Jackson says the additional drenching would sustain high levels of the Pearl River in metropolitan Jackson and the Big Black River to the west toward Vicksburg.
She said water levels on both rivers were expected to rise.
The Pearl River crested at 33.4 feet early Tuesday. Flood stage is 28 feet. Weber said it would be expected to hold there and begin a slow fall.
Downriver from Jackson, the Pearl was continuing to rise with moderate flooding expected in the Rockport, Monticello and Columbia areas.
Elsewhere, minor to moderate flooding was expected on the Gulf Coast and in areas of east Mississippi near Chunky and Meridian.
Meteorologist Freddie Zeigler in Slidell, La., said the Mississippi Gulf Coast experienced 24-hour rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches with the lower levels north of the three coastal counties of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson.
“The rainfall was less dramatic - Wiggins at 1.27 inches - as you move inland,” he said.
Biloxi had 4.18 inches of rain followed by 3.3 inches at Gulfport, 5.06 inches north of Kiln and 4.62 inches in Pass Christian.
Zeigler said there was some flash flooding north of Kiln where the heavy rain occurred.
“The trend seems to be that most rivers and tributaries are pretty close to cresting or in minor flood stage,” he said.
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