While southeast Texas contends with historic rainfall and catastrophic flooding as a result of Hurricane Harvey,
“That’s a lot of rain in a short time,” Leflore County Emergency Management coordinator Fred Randle said today. “We’re preparing sandbags and available equipment in case of flooding.”
Randle said he has a daily conference with other state emergency coordinators when potentially threatening weather is approaching and gets regular updates from the National Weather Service in Jackson.
The potential for flooding extends all across the county, given that most of Leflore County is a low-lying area, he said.
Daniel Lamb, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said rain chances along the outer bands of Harvey reaching inland will increase throughout the week.
“On average, Greenwood can expect 2 to 4 inches and more anywhere heavy rain bands set up for a while,” Lamb said.
“There is a limited threat for some flooding.”
That doesn’t mean that flooding is inevitable but that everyone should be prepared in case warnings of flooding or tornadoes associated with the front are issued.
Lamb said that Greenwood falls into the area east of the Mississippi River where tornadoes might set up but that tornadoes associated with tropical storms are typically brief.
The weather service will know more as Harvey continues its slow eastward approach that has already unleashed the potential for flash flooding in south Mississippi.
The forecast for Greenwood this morning showed an 80 percent chance of rain on Wednesday and Thursday, with weather clearing by Saturday.
“Keep checking the forecast,” Lamb said. “That could change.”
• Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
