The Pearl River flowing through Mississippi is rising and could burst its banks. That could result in floods around the state capital of Jackson. Forecasters believe the river will crest at 38 feet and it could even cross it. This is because of days of heavy rains in surrounding areas. The level of water in the river had crossed that figure only twice earlier, in 1979 and 1983. Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency on Saturday. He said, "This is a historic, unprecedented flood. This is a precarious situation, and we have brought in everyone to assist.

Daily Mail UK says the authorities want people to evacuate from portions of Jackson and suburban regions. Some of the residents are already preparing to move out. The Governor cautioned that rising water levels could make life difficult for the people and they should take suitable actions. He also put his stamp of approval and declared an emergency to prioritize spending for flood response and recovery. Distribution of sandbags is completed and rescue teams are on standby. Even though there is sunshine in certain areas, people should remain alert and not wait for dangers to happen. The waters could rise and remain high for days, in view of the forecast of more rains.

Meteorologists come up with past data on floods

Floods are due to heavy rainfall and impediments to the smooth flow of the rainwater. There could be many reasons for this and the most common one is a blockage. Deposits of mud and rocks land in the path of the flow to cause obstructions that keep mounting over a period of time.

These are because of the loss of trees that help to bind the soil but are cut down in the name of development. Floods damage communication links, especially road links. They translate into a loss of properties and habitats apart from the relocation of people. At times, flash floods lead to loss of lives. These happen when people forget to take care of the environment.

This helps to maintain the ecological balance and plays a major role in minimizing occurrences like floods and other disasters.

Daily Mail UK quotes the National Weather Service NWS as saying, “With the very wet soil conditions, expected one to two-inch rainfall amounts Tuesday into Wednesday will lead to areas of flash flooding and worsen ongoing river flooding.” The administration is preparing to face a situation that could be worse than 1983. A meteorologist for the NWS mentions the floods of 1979, and 1983 and says there are possibilities that 2020 could be worse.

Floods could raise the Pearl River to historic levels

According to CBS News, the ongoing heavy rains could create history with the Pearl River. This river runs through Mississippi, and its capital city of Jackson could face the brunt of this climatic disturbance. NWS cautions that this could get the tag of the worst flood in the state in nearly four decades. In the 1980s, it witnessed widespread flooding in the Jackson Metropolitan area due to excessive rainfall compared to normal.

Preventing incidents of floods

Rainfall is necessary for survival but an excess of anything is bad. The rainwater gets absorbed in the soil and the excess amount finds its way into larger bodies of water like ponds, lakes, rivers and the oceans.

Roots of the trees bind the soil but when there are no trees, the soil becomes loose and the flow of water plays havoc with the surroundings. That spells trouble and governments declare an emergency to provide temporary relief when the need is for something more permanent. That is to protect the environment. The world has to realize that such an action can pay rich dividends and reduce calamities like floods.
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