Chickasaw County prepares for flooding

CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- It’s not fun to be caught in the rain.

Being prepared for severe weather is important, especially when heavy rains could bring flash flooding, wash out local roads and threaten rural drivers.

Chickasaw County is preparing for high waters.

“Our county roads and city roads do have certain locations that water gets over the road and it may be standing still and it may be rushing water,” said Linda Griffin.

Linda Griffin is the Emergency Management Agency Director. She says drivers are often stuck because the water is too high to cross.

If you try to walk through rising water, moving as little as six inches can knock you off your feet.

Griffin says shuffling your feet can prevent being swept away or causing injury.

“If you leave the roadway in a ditch full of water and then increases your danger you don’t necessarily walk away from those accidents there are more people killed and flooding accidents then there are, you know, tornadoes a lot of time,” said Griffin.

Griffin also warns drivers to stay home at night. Heavy rain makes its hard to see. Turn on your lights and drive slowly.

“Slow down, make sure your vehicles are fueled up and you take an alternate route the time the road in flooded and you take an alternate route is gonna be a longer route. Don’t drive or where you cannot see the road, and if there’s water across you may still can see but you don’t know the dangers of where the water is already washed them away,” said Griffin.

Chickasaw County is joining other north Mississippi counties, observing severe weather preparedness week.