Flood warnings remain in place for parts of Washington, Mississippi, and Louisiana as the National Weather Service (NWS) urges drivers in affected areas to “turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads” and to “be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding.”
Residents in affected areas are advised to prepare for flooding and closely monitor forecasts and flood watch advisories for updates.
Flood Warnings for Washington
Flooding warnings have been issued for the Skokomish River at Potlatch in the west of the state until Wednesday afternoon as the NWS forecasts flooding over West Bourgault Road and Skokomish Valley Road.
On Monday evening, the Skokomish River—at 17.6 feet—reached above flood level, which is 16.5 feet. The NWS expects the river to start receding below the flood level on Wednesday morning and continue to fall throughout the remainder of this week.
Flood Warnings for Mississippi
On Monday evening, the River Leaf, near McLain in southern Mississppi, reached 21.3 feet, and the NWS expects it to keep rising, reaching a crest of 22 feet by Tuesday morning. The flood level stage for this river is 18 feet, so this is likely to cause “considerable flooding of agricultural and lowlands near the river,” the NWS says. The river is expected to stay above flood level until Saturday morning, when it will begin to recede.
The Chickasawhay River at Leakesville in the east of the state was expected to reach a crest of 23.5 feet overnight Monday, which is 3.5 feet above the river’s flood level stage, which is 20 feet. The NWS forecasts that it will remain at this level before falling below flood level early on Saturday morning. It warns residents that at 22 feet, some roads, especially in low-lying areas, “could become cut off by high water.”
Flood Warnings for Louisiana
Flooding is forecast for the Pearl River, near Bogalusa, in east Louisiana, until late Wednesday night as the river is expected to rise to 19.5 feet on Tuesday morning, which is 1.5 feet above the flood level stage. Although the river should start to drop to below flood level on Wednesday afternoon, the Bogue Chitto Wildlife Management area is likely to be flooded, especially in the recreational camps and across access roads.
Further south the river, near the town of Pearl River, is expected to crest at 15 feet on Thursday morning, which is above the flood level stage, which is 14 feet. The NWS has warned that flooding could affect around 20 homes along the left bank of the river.
The Tangipahoa River, near Robert, could reach 16.5 feet on Tuesday morning, before receding to below flood level (which is 15 feet) on Wednesday night.
The Bogue Chitto River, near Bush, is forecast to crest at 13.5 feet on Tuesday night, which is 2.5 feet above flood level stage, before starting to fall on Thursday morning. The NWS said that “homes in low-lying areas on the downstream side of Louisiana Highway 21 near the bridge will flood.”
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