Leflore County officials were monitoring road conditions today as heavy rains continued to fall on the area.
Susan Bailey, public works director for the city of Greenwood, and Jerry Smith, Leflore County road manager, both said roads were clear as of 8:45 this morning, with no reports of flooding.
“We’re out checking the roads right now and haven’t run up on anything,” Smith said. “We were able to make it through last night good, didn’t get any complaints.”
The National Weather Service in Jackson reported this morning that up to 3 inches of rain per hour were hitting northern Leflore County and the Greenwood area and warned of flash flooding in low-lying areas.
Trooper Tony Dunn, public affairs officer for Troop D of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, said he’d heard reports of several vehicles hydroplaning near Ruleville and was warning motorists about road conditions.
“We’ve had several vehicles that ran off the road and had to be towed out but no injuries,” Dunn said this morning.
The National Weather Service’s warning, which was to remain in effect until 10 a.m., listed specific locations throughout the area as being particularly at risk of flooding: the Glendale subdivision southeast of Greenwood, the Main Street underpass, the 1000 block of Broad Street, the 500 to 900 blocks of Grand Boulevard, the 900 to 1000 block of Strong Avenue and the 400 block of Fulton and Henry streets as well as Mitchell Street in Itta Bena.
Many of those same areas experienced flooding during an intense localized downpour July 23. That storm, which reportedly dumped more than 5 inches of rain on parts of Greenwood in less than an hour, led to extensive flash flooding in many parts of the city but left outlying areas and most of Leflore County relatively dry.
Greenwood and Leflore County officials have been compiling the names of those affected by the July 23 flooding in an effort to have Gov. Phil Bryant declare a disaster in the area, which would help both local governments qualify for state or federal disaster funds.
The National Weather Service’s flash flood warning, issued shortly before 8 a.m. today, also covered Bolivar County, including the cities of Shelby, Rosedale and Cleveland, and northern Sunflower County, including Parchman, Ruleville and Drew.
