Floodwaters block roads in Lowndes County
STEENS, Miss. (WCBI) – Turn around. Don’t drown.
Weekend storms caused several areas to flood in Lowndes County.
Water has been rising since Monday Morning in Steens, MS.
Law enforcement is telling people not to drive through the high waters.
“They’re driving down the road and pushing water into people’s houses, so we’re asking people when you see a barricade, please don’t drive around the barricades because it’s only causing problems,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins.
Deputies are giving out tickets to those who cross the barricades.
The sheriff says to call 911 if you need help leaving your house.
“We don’t know if the roads been washed away. We don’t know if it’s caused problems. You run off the road, you get stuck. Every which way you can drive, you’re going to have to get through water to get to some of these homes,” said Hawkins.
Columbus Fire and Rescue have also assisted in rescuing people from flooded areas.
Early Tuesday morning, the Volunteer Fire Department called for their help because two people needed to be rescued by boat on Luxilin Drive.
The water is expected to reach maximum height around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, April 9.
“All this water that’s north of us in these other counties are coming south. It funnels into all these drainage ditches and creeks that funnel into the Luxapalila, then into the Tombigbee. So, all this water has to go somewhere, and it can’t move fast enough. That’s why we’re seeing all the rise in the water,” said Hawkins.
Businesses have also closed due to the flooding.
As of this morning, April 8, the water was at 21 ft.
The water is expected to reach its maximum height of 24.2 ft. on the Luxapalila.
