By By Fredie Carmichael/The Meridian Star
Sept. 3, 2001
Torrential rains downed trees and washed away roads across Clarke County on Sunday as flash floods struck parts of East Central Mississippi.
The National Weather Service had issued a flash flood watch Sunday night for much of East Central Mississippi, including Clarke, Kemper, Lauderdale and Newton counties.
Clarke County received most of the rain Saturday and Sunday. The National Weather Service said that 10 inches of rain fell in the northwest corner of the county between 7 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.
Barry White, a patrol officer for the Clarke County Sheriff's Department, said the wet weather created major problems for motorists.
Rain source
Chris Jakub, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said that a slow-moving surface low has been the source of the wet weather. He said the surface low is common in the spring, but unusual in the summer.
Jakub said that the system, which has been hanging around the area since Thursday, should be moving out of Mississippi by noon today.
Weather problems
The Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Meridian Police Department and the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department could not be reached to discuss any possible weather-related problems.
Jakub said that Meridian and Lauderdale County escaped the heavy, steady rains that plagued Clarke County on Saturday and Sunday.
Clarke County road crews were out in force Sunday, shoveling gravel onto washed-out roads. A county spokesman reported at least five washed-out roads Sunday afternoon.
White said that his department responded to two car accidents Sunday. Both involved vehicles that slid off roads after hitting pockets of standing water.
Fredie Carmichael is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551, ext. 3228 or E-mail him at fcarmichael@themeridianstar.com.