Flooding Updates: Mississippi helps Louisiana, roads reopen

The latest on flooding in the Deep South.

1:30 p.m. Monday update

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reports preliminary rain totals gathered by the National Weather Service show Osyka has received 15.05 inches of rain. Gloster has taken on 14.96 inches, and Woodville has received 11.25 inches. Liberty's rainfall total was 9.15 inches, and Long Beach has had 8.65 inches of rain.

MEMA reports that damage assessments are underway.

10:30 a.m. Monday update

The Mississippi Department of Transportation announced that Hwy. 24 and Hwy. 569 in Amite County are open. Hwy. 575 in Pike County remains closed.

Two Mississippi Air National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters have arrived Monday in Hammond, La. to support the Louisiana Air National Guard flood response operations.

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesman Greg Flynn said damage assessments conducted by MEMA and local officials are scheduled to begin Monday.

The National Weather Service says southwest Mississippi received over 14 inches of rain late Thursday and Friday.

10:15 p.m. update

Officials say they have recovered the body of a woman from inside a flooded vehicle.

Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, says witnesses say the woman was seen last night attempting to turn around in high water when her vehicle was swept away.

The woman's name will be released following family notification.

That would appear to raise the death toll from the widespread flooding to five people but officials could not be immediately reached to confirm the numbers.

Heavy rains have swollen rivers and caused widespread flooding across southern Louisiana.

9:45 p.m. update

Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 10,000 people are in shelters and more than 20,000 people have been rescued across south Louisiana because of widespread flooding.

The governor says the Baton Rouge River Center, a major events location in the capital city's downtown, will be opened Sunday as a shelter to handle the large numbers of evacuees.

Edwards said President Barack Obama called him and said that "the people of south Louisiana are in his thoughts and prayers and the federal government will be a solid partner."

The federal government has already declared a major disaster in four parishes following widespread flooding.

10:45 a.m. update

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials said the flooding situation in affected Mississippi areas should start to improve as the rains slack up.

New Orleans National Weather Service meteorologist Danielle Manning said the largest impact areas in south Mississippi were in Pike, Amite, and Wilkinson counties.

"There really wasn’t a lot of impact east of the Pearl River," she said.

Officials reported record flooding on the Buffalo River at Woodville, where the crest reached 25.53 feet. The previous record was 22.3 feet, Manning said.

There was also some minor flooding of the Tangipahoa at Osyka.

There have been high watere rescues in Wilkinson and Amite County, Manning said.

In south Adams and Frankin counties, there were some areas that recieved as much as 10 inches of rain, said NWS Jackson meteorologist Thomas Winesett.

Around the state, rain should be letting up, said Winesett. The system that dropped so much rain on Louisiana and south Mississippi will be moving to the northwest and should be in Missouri by morning, he said.

There could be another inch or two of rain across western Mississippi, Winesett said, but it isn't expected to cause problems, he said.

In south Mississippi, there could be scattered showers and thunderstorms through the end of the week, Manning said. She warned that since the ground is saturated, it won't take much to cause ponding and nuisance flooding.

9 a.m. update

Widespread flooding in Louisiana has stranded motorists for nearly a day on Interstate 12.

Alex Cobb of Baton Rouge says she has been stuck since around 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

Reached by telephone Sunday, she said she was on her way to a bridal shower she was supposed to be hosting on Saturday when flooding closed off the highway.

She said she had food from the bridal shower that she was able to eat and a produce truck about a ¼ mile up the road opened its doors and shared its stock with the stranded motorists.

Cobb said some of the people stranded on the highway were actually fleeing flooding in their homes when they got caught on the freeway.

The mood is surprisingly upbeat but she emphasized that people "want water."

8 a.m. update

Emergency crews worked through the night to rescue scores of Louisiana residents from homes and stranded cars as floodwaters continued to inundate large swaths of the Baton Rouge region.

Mike Steele of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said Sunday morning that there was an overnight spike in flood rescues in eastern Baton Rouge. He said two nursing homes in that area were being evacuated.

Police also were rescuing people from dozens of cars that were stranded on Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.

Steele says the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish and hundreds more in St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

At least three deaths have been blamed on the flooding.

Sunday 1:49 a.m. update

Emergency crews plucked motorists from stranded cars in high water along a stretch of south Louisiana interstate, pulled others from inundated homes and braced for more arduous work Sunday after conducting at least 2,000 rescues.

Pounding rains swamped parts of southeast Louisiana so that whole subdivisions appeared isolated by floodwaters, which are blamed for at least three deaths.

Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, calling the floods "historic." He and his family were even forced to leave the Governor's Mansion when chest-high water filled the basement. He later toured flood-ravaged areas by helicopter and warned Louisiana residents it would be too risky to venture out even once the rains begin to subside.

2:30 p.m. update

The U.S. Coast Guard says it has rescued five people from flood waters in the Baton Rouge area.

In a news release, the Coast Guard said that a helicopter crew rescued two adults and their 6-year-old child from their home and took them to the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport on Saturday.

A second helicopter crew rescued two women and evacuated them to the airport as well.

The rescues were part of more than 1,000 made by the National Guard and other officials as heavy rain and flooding inundated the state.

It was Coast Guard aircrews that made over 24,000 recuses in New Orleans during the flooding from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has declared a state of emergency for Adams, Amite, Pike, Wilkinson and any other counties affected by the heavy rainfall and severe flooding over the last few days.

Bryant says shelters are open and he wants to make sure anyone forced from their home is taken care of. He says the state of emergency will ensure state resources are available to all local governments that need help.

Bryant said damage assessments will be conducted by Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and local officials as areas become accessible.

2 p.m. update

Mississippi officials say the heavy rain and flooding affected nearly all of the 342 people who live in the small town of Crosby.

Wilkinson County's emergency management director, Thomas Tolliver Jr., says those residents left their homes Friday as the town was inundated by flood waters. Statewide, more than 1,000 people had to be rescued and at least two people have died.

Tolliver said some people in Crosby were able to leave on their own, but others had to be recused from their home.

He said most were sent to shelters in Natchez.

Tolliver said Saturday the water has started to recede and those living in Crosby will be allowed back in by Sunday to assess the damage.

Tolliver said most of the buildings in Crosby sustained water damage.

1:25 p.m. update

LSU has canceled its football "Fan Day" and media day due to the continued rain and flooding across south Louisiana.

The events were both scheduled to be held on campus on Sunday.

LSU Vice-Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said in a news release Fan Day will be not rescheduled.

Officials say more than 1,000 people have been rescued and two people have died in the floods.

12:45 p.m. update

Dozens of people are staying at a Red Cross shelter in Baker after they had to be rescued or helped from the Louisiana floods.

John Mitchell said he swam to safety with his pit bull. Police officers in a boat picked up his girlfriend, her young daughter and his father.

Mitchell fears he lost their trailer home and his car, which was flooded up to the seats. A bag of clothes was all he had time to save as the water levels rapidly rose.

The governor says more than 1,000 people have been rescued and two people have died in the floods.

Shanita Angrum said she called 911 on Friday morning when she realized flood waters had trapped her family in their home. A police officer carried her 6-year-old daughter on his back while she and her husband waded behind them to safety. She says snakes were everywhere.

Louisiana State Police say a 54-year-old Greensburg man died when his pickup ran off Louisiana Highway 10 and was submerged in the flood waters.

Senior Trooper Melissa Matey says Saturday that firefighters from St. Helena Parish Fire District 4 recovered the body of Samuel Muse on Friday night.

Matey says the highway was covered by several feet of water and Muse's vehicle was not visible.

At least one other person died in the unprecedented flooding in Louisiana. The governor says more than 1,000 people have had to be rescued from their homes or cars.

11:50 a.m. update

Flash flood warnings are still in effect for southeast Louisiana as more rain is in the forecast.

More than 1,000 people have had to be evacuated and at least two people have died after heavy rains inundated parts of the state.

The National Weather Service says the flash flood warnings are in effect for Livingston, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, Iberville, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and Ascension parishes until 2:15 p.m. Saturday.

In south Mississippi, more than a half-dozen counties are under a flood watch until Sunday.

Forecaster Tim Destri says additional rainfall accumulations through Sunday morning in Louisiana could range between 3 to 6 inches west of Interstate 55 with locally higher amounts. Somewhat lower rainfall totals east of I-55 are expected.

In Mississippi, Destri said an additional 2 inches could fall from McComb to the Mississippi River. Gloster, Mississippi, in Amite County, had a two-day rain total of 22.8 inches.

10:55 a.m. update

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says flooding has reached record levels in some parts of the state following days of torrential rain.

He said at a press conference Saturday that officials still don't know how bad the flooding will get and warned residents not to rely on past experience when deciding on a course of action. He says residents advised to evacuate should do so.

Edwards also advised residents to avoid unnecessary road travel. He said more than 1,000 people have been rescued so far from homes, cars and elsewhere. About 100 pets have also been rescued.

9:25 a.m. update

The National Weather Service says the same system that is currently affecting parts of Louisiana dumped heavy rainfall on coastal Alabama this week.

Weather service meteorologist Da'Vel Johnson said Saturday that Gulf Shores on the Alabama coast got 7.45 inches of rain from Monday through 7 a.m. Friday. Dauphin Island got 5.26 inches during the same period.

More rain fell Friday, but Johnson said those rainfall totals weren't available Saturday morning.

Johnson said the storm system had mostly moved away from Alabama by Saturday.

9:15 a.m. update

The National Weather Service has issued flash flooding warning for all of southwest Louisiana until 2 p.m. Saturday as a low pressure system continues to drift slowly to the west. Forecaster Donald Jones in Lake Charles, Louisiana, says the storm system moved from southeast Louisiana to an area along the central Gulf coast in 24 hours or about 100 to 200 miles.

A flood watch for southwest Louisiana is in effect until Sunday afternoon.

Jones says 6 to 10 inches of rain has fallen over the last 24 hours and an additional 4 to 6 inches will be possible Saturday afternoon.

Jones says Iberia, Lafayette and Vermilion parishes have been the hardest hit with flood water getting into some homes.

Saturday, 7:40 a.m. update

More rain was expected to swamp already soggy ground across Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast where at least two people died and dozens had to be rescued from waist-high water surrounding their homes.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. Saturday to discuss the flooding situation, which also affected the Louisiana Governor's Mansion, which has a flooded basement. WAFB-TV reports the governor's family has been relocated until the situation is resolved.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing their banks and threatening widespread flooding after extreme rainfall that began late Thursday, the National Weather Service reported.

Meteorologist Mike Shields, with the service's Slidell, Louisiana office, said a flash-flood watch remained in effect through Sunday.

"Potentially, additional heavy rain from 4 to 8 inches can be expected west of Interstate 55 and lesser amounts east of there as the system continues moving further west," he said.

Friday, 9 p.m. update

Authorities have pulled a body from a submerged pickup on Louisiana Highway 10 in St. Helena Parish and they're searching the area for a possible second vehicle.

State Fire Marshal H. "Butch" Browning confirms crews found a man in his 50s inside a marooned Chevrolet pickup truck about 7 p.m. Friday.

He says the body was turned over to the parish coroner's office. His name has not been released, but Browning says he's believed to be from the area.

Meanwhile, crews are continuing to search for possibly another washed away vehicle after residents reported a missing person.

4 p.m. update

More than 50 people have been flooded out of a neighborhood in Crosby, Mississippi, and will be housed at a shelter in Natchez.

Wilkinson County Chancery Clerk Thomas Tolliver says an apartment complex and surrounding houses in the town were heavily flooded by deluging rains falling over southern Mississippi and southeast Louisiana.

Tolliver says a creek in the low-lying area of Crosby overflowed its banks after the region received 10 inches of rain overnight, running through houses and apartments. He says officials have been unable to reach some parts of the county and haven't completed a damage assessment, but says a number of bridges and culverts have been washed out.

Adams County Emergency Manager Brad Bradford says his county anticipates housing Crosby residents at least until Monday.

3 p.m. update

Authorities in Louisiana say a man's body has been recovered from floodwaters in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Sheriff's office spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks says the death occurred Friday.

She says a woman notified authorities that she was helping a man through the water when he slipped into a flooded ditch in front of a home near the city of Zachary.

Hicks says neighbors tried to save the man, but weren't able to. A body was recovered around noon. Hicks identified the victim as 68-year-old William Mayfield.

1:55 p.m. update

Amtrak is stopping a Chicago-to-New Orleans train in central Mississippi because of flooding on railroad tracks in the southern part of the state.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says the train stopped Friday in Jackson, and Amtrak was planning to get passengers to New Orleans by bus. Water was covering the tracks in Osyka, Mississippi, a small community in Pike County at the Louisiana state line.

MEMA says two injuries were reported amid heavy rains in coastal Harrison County, but details were not immediately available.

12:05 p.m. update

Rescuers are still plucking people from floodwaters in southwest Mississippi.

Leroy Hansford, his wife and stepson were among those rescued earlier Friday near Gloster.

Hansford says waters from Beaver Creek that are normally more than 400 feet away from his house rose quickly overnight. The National Weather Service reported 10 inches of rain overnight in Gloster.

Hansford says he and other family members were rescued from the waist-high water by emergency workers in a large military-style truck.

Amite County Emergency Manager Grant McCurley said Friday that officials are trying to rescue people trapped by floodwaters in Crosby. He estimates 10 to 20 homes have been flooded in Amite County. Others have been flooded to the west in Wilkinson County.

11:55 a.m. update

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency for the entire state as a result of heavy rain and widespread flooding.

Edwards said in a news release Friday state officials are in constant contact with local officials, and assistance is already on the move to affected parishes.

Mike Steele of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says requests are coming for high-water vehicle, boats and sandbags.

Steele said Tangipahoa Parish alone has requested tens of thousands of sandbags.

11:15 a.m. update

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi are spreading beyond of their banks, threatening widespread flooding after extreme rainfall.

The Comite River near Baton Rouge and Amite River near Denham Springs in Louisiana are predicted to set record crests over the weekend. National Weather Service forecaster Alek Krautmann says both could flood many houses in suburban areas near Baton Rouge. He also says that flooding downstream in Ascension Parish is a threat, as those swollen rivers will be slow to drain into Lake Maurepas.

The Tickfaw River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, Louisiana, was already at the highest level ever recorded at 9 a.m. Friday.

Krautmann says flooding is "quickly becoming widespread" as heavy rains continue. Officials are considering evacuation orders. Krautmann says one observer near Livingston reported 13.75 inches of rain from midnight to Friday morning.

10:30 a.m. update

Flooding is also affecting areas of southwest Mississippi just north of the Louisiana state line.

Carlene Statham, the deputy director of the Pike County Emergency Management Agency, says waters began rising before dawn Friday in Osyka (oh-SY'-kuh), leading the county to send out rescue teams. She says one woman was rescued from a car, while three people were rescued from a house surrounded by water. Statham says a handful of houses in the Osyka area appear to have flooded.

Numerous roads are flooded and at least one county road has washed out. No one was injured.

The Amite County school district is dismissing class at 10 a.m. Superintendent Scotty Whittington says numerous roads are underwater or washed out.

10 a.m. update

The Mississippi Department of Transportation said the following roadways are impacted by flooding Friday.

Amite County

• Hwy 24 between Centerville and Gloster

• Hwy 24 between Gloster and Liberty

• Hwy 48 between Liberty and Centerville

Pike County

• Hwy 575 between SR 48 and Osyka Progress Road

Wilkinson County

• Hwy 33 between Centerville and the Louisiana State Line

9:30 a.m. update

Flooding has closed some highways in south Mississippi. Amite County school students have been released from early.

Swift water rescue teams in Pike County pulled about six people from flooded homes and vehicles, WAPT reported.

Flooding was also reported in Wilkinson County. Some areas reported more than 7 inches of rain.

A flash flood warning was issued about 6:40 a.m. for the southwestern portion of Jackson County and central Harrison County. Affected areas include Long Beach, Pass Christian, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, St. Martin, D’Iberville, Gulf Hills, Latimer, Lyman and Vancleave.

Additionally, a flood advisory was issued for the southern part of Hancock County, which includes Bay St. Louis, Waveland and Diamondhead.

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9 a.m. update

Louisiana authorities have rescued 72 people and seven pets out of neighborhoods after flooding in southeast Tangipahoa Parish.

Parish President Robby Miller says shelters have been open in the town of Amite and Hammond city for those who were rescued. Residents will be allowed to return home once the water starts to recede.

Heavy rain is also causing problems in southern Mississippi.

Officials in Pike County say roads are closed and water is nearing homes in the town of Osyka (oh-SY'-kuh), just north of the Louisiana-Mississippi state line.

Meteorologist Alek Krautmann at the weather service office in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Mississippi town of Gloster, in Amite County has received nearly 10 inches of rain since Thursday night.

8:45 a.m. update

Forecasters in Alabama say a flash flood watch is in effect Friday along the Alabama Gulf coast.

National Weather Service meteorologists say they expect an additional 2.2 inches of rain to fall on Friday in areas near Mobile, Alabama, with higher amounts possible in some areas.

On Friday morning, forecasters said the potential for heavier rainfall increases toward the Alabama coast.

7 a.m. update

Heavy rain and street flooding have prompted five school districts in southeast Louisiana to cancel classes.

St. James, Washington, Tangipahoa (tan-jih-puh-HOH') and St. Tammany parishes and the Bogalusa (bohg-uh-LOOS'-uh) City School District announced early Friday schools would be closed due to weather and flooding concerns.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says high water has closed Interstate 55 southbound near Amite.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for Washington Tangipahoa, Livingston, West Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge and portions of St. Tammany, Pointe Coupee and Ascension parishes until 1 p.m. Friday.

The weather service said in a statement at an addition 3 to 5 inches could fall over the warned area.

All of southeast Louisiana remains under a flood watch until Saturday morning.