Pearl River rise slows, approaches crest

The Pearl River's rise has slowed as it slowly approaches its predicted crest.

SECOND OF WATER IS BEINGRELEASED FROM THESPILLWAY GATES.THAT IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OFWATER -- ATLEAST TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS A FOOTDEEPEACH SECOND.THE CONCERN THIS MORNING IS NOTTO RELEASE TOO MUCH WATER ANDCOMPOUNDTHE FLOODING PROBLEMSDOWNSTREAM...EVEN AS THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TOCRESTTODAY -- THE THREAT FOR FLOODINGWILL LINGERFOR DAYS AFTER...AS IT WILL TAKESOME TIME TOMOVE THAT MUCH WATER OUT OF ANAREA WHERETHE RIVERS CREEKS AND DITCHESARE SO FULL.JOHN SIGMAN/PRVWSD:THE RESERVOIR HAS REDUCEDOUTFLOWS THAT;S TRUE WE LOOK FORTHE RIVER LEVELS TO DROP.

THEYARE NOT DROPPING YET.

IT WILLCONTINUE TO RISE UNTIL ITREACHES A PEAK SOMETIME SUNDAY..SO IF WATER IS APPROACHING YOURHOME OR BUSINESS DON'T RELAX ITCAN STILL RISE SOMEWHAT.

MARTYPOPE/HYDROLOGIS T-NWS: THE RIVERWILL REMAIN PRETTY HIGH AFTERTHAT BECAUSE THE WATER WILLCONTINUE TO SLOWLY DRAIN OUTTOWARDS THE RANKIN COUNTY SIDEOF THE RIVER.AND WE ARE REMINDED THAT SO MUCHHAS CHANGED SINCE THE 1979FLOOD-- IN THIS CASE SO MUCHMORE DEVELOPMENT.

SO MUCH MORE ELEVATION IN THOSEAREAS ALONG LAKELAND DRIVE THATCAN DELAY THE FLOW OF WATERFURTHER SOUTH.

THIS MORNING --THE SPILLWAY IS STILL FLOWING ALARGE AMOUNT OFWATER...OPERATORS ARE TRYING TOLOWER THE LAKE AND NOT SEND MOREFLOODING PROBLEMS DOWNSTREAM.LIVE AT THE SPILLWAY CHRISTANAKAY 16 WAPT NEWS.

THIS HOME WAS IN UPPER NORTHEASTJACKSON-- ONE OF THE MOSTIMPACTED AREAS.16 WAPT'S SHALEEKA POWELL ISLIVE ONWESTBROOK ROAD-- ANOTHER STREETTHAT'SSEEING MASSIVE FLOODING.

WATER CONTINUES TO SPILL ONWESTBROOKROAD.THE FLOODWATER LOOKS LIKE ASMALL LAKEAS IT WRAPS AROUND HOMES.MANY PEOPLE WHO LIVED OFFWESTBROOKROAD HAVE ALREADY EVACUATEDTHEIR HOMESBEFORE THE HIGH WATER CAME --BUT NOTEVERYONE IS GONE.FRANK ELLIOT SAYS HE IS STAYINGPUT -- EVENTHOUGH THE WATER IN FRONT OF HISHOME ISBEGINNING TO COVER THE STREET.THAT BEING SAID WE'RE A LITTLEISLAND HERE SO IF THE WATER HACOME UP I DO HAVE A CANOE AND IHAVE FRIENDS PICK ME UP AT THECHURCH SO WE COULD RIDE AROUNDTHE CORNER TO THE CHURCH AND GOWHEREVER I NEEDTO GELLIOTS FAMILY HAS ALREADY PUTSOME OFTHEIR FURNITURE ON TOP OF THEIRBEDS -- INCAFLOODING DOES BECOME AN ISSUE.THE CITY SAYS THEY BELIEVE ATLEAST 500HOMES RECEIVED SOME TYPE OFFLOOD DAMAGE.LIVE IN JACKSON, I'M SHALEEKAPOWELLREPORTING FOR 16 WAPT NEWS.

ANOTHER AREA OF FLOODING INJACKSON ISDOWNTOWN WHERE PORTION OF SOUTHWEST STREET IS UNDER WATER.THERE ARE SEVERAL POCKETS LIKETHIS...SOME BUILDINGS HAVEBECOME ISLANDS SURROUNDED BYWATER.THEY CITY HAS BARRICADES UP TOKEEPPEOPLE FROM DRIVING THROUGHPOTENTIALLYDANGEROUS HIGH WATER.SOME REPUBLIC SCHOOLS IN JACKSONWILL BE CLOSED TODAY BECAUSE OFFLOODING.THOSE SCHOOLS ARE REIMAGINEPREP...SMILOW PREP AND SMILOWCOLLEGIATE.

A LOT OF SCHOOLS AREALREADY CLOSED FORPRESIDENT'S DAY---WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED WITH ANYOTHER SCHOOL CLOSINGS OR DELAYSASTHEY COME IN.

16 WAPT'S MARCUS HUNTER IS INTHE NEWSROOM TO TELL US ABOUTHOW JACKSONBUSINESSES ARE DEALING WITHPOWERISSUES.

BUSINESS OWNERS AROUND THE METROHOPING THEIR BUSINESSES MAKE ITTHROUGH THE FLOODING.BUT--- SOME LOCAL BUSINESSOWNEDON'T HAVE ANY POWER.AT THE CENTER FOR CHANGE ONRIDGEWOOD... A THERAPIST SPOKEABOUTHER FULL SCHEDULE AND THEUNCERTANTY OFRIDGEWOOD... A THERAPIST SPOKEABOUT HER FULL SCHEDULE AND THEUNCERTANTY OFWHETHER SHE'D BE ABLE TO OPENFOR HERPATIENTS IN THE MORNING.

"BUT WE HAVE PEOPLE SCHEDULED INTHE MORNING SO WE MAY HAVE TOCLOSE FOR HALF ADAY MAYBE LONGER HOPEFULLY NOT IJUST FEEL SAD FOREVERYONE AFFECTED YOU KNOW THISIS DIFFICULT."AS THE WATER CONTINUES TO CREEPUPINTO PARKING AROUND THOSEBUSINESSES -- PEOPLE ARE PRAYINGTHAT THE WATER DOESNOT GO OVER THE SANDBAGS ANDINSIDETHE BUILDINGS... IN THE NEWSROOM--- I'M MARCUSHUNTER.

BACK TO YOU.

ENTERGY HAS CUT POWER TO AREASIN THEMANDATORY EVACUATION ZONES.THEY SAY-- EVEN IF YOUR HOME HASNOT BEENFLOODED-- IF YOU'RE ON A STREETWHERE OTHERHOMES ARE-- YOU MAY LOSE POWER.RIGHT NOW-- NEARLY NINE-HUNDREDOUTAGESACROSS THE STATE.MOST ARE IN HINDS AND MADISONCOUNTIES.

IF YOU WANT SANDBAGS FROM THECITY OFJACKSON-- YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK.THEY SAY NO ONE WILL BEAVAILABLE TODAYBECAUSE IT'S "PRESIDENTS DAY"--WHICH IS A HOLIDAY.ALL CITY OFFICES ARE CLOSEDTODAY.

TWO BUSINESSES ARE HELPINGANIMALS IN NEED DURING THEFLOODING.BARK, BARK, BARK, BARKANIMALS SHELTERS ARE USUALLYFOCUSED ON ADOPTING PETS OUT.NOW--- "MISSISSIPPI ANIMALRESCUE LEAGUE" AND THE"COMMUNITY ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE"ARE FOCUSING ON TAKING THEM IN.ANIMALS ARE STILL BEING ADOPTEDREGULARLYBUT--- THE ORGANIZATIONS SAYTHEY ARE HAVING TROUBLE TRYINGTOACCOMMODATE THE INFLUX OF PETS.

DO WE HAVE ENOUGH FEED IN STOCK.DO WE HAVE ENOUGPERSONNEL COMING IN, DO WE NEEDVOLUNTEERS TO COME IN.

DO WENEED...AH, BUT MONEY'S ALWAYS ANISSUE, BECAUSE THEY'LL BE PAYINGOVERTIME, WE'LL BE PAYINGOVERTIME.

ALL OF US WILL BEBRINGING IN EXTRA FOOD, ALL OFUS WILL BE USING EXTRA VACCINESTHAT WE WERE NOT PLANNIN' ON, ONUSIN'ALTHOUGH IT'S A STRAIN ONRESOURCES-- THEY SAY THEY AREHAPPY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE--KNOWING PEOPLE ARE ALREADYDEALING WITHE STRESS OF FLOOD EVACUATIONS."MARL" IS ACCEPTING SMALL DOGS,CATS,BIRDS, AND OTHER SMALL ANIMALS."CARA" HAS SPACE FOR LARGERPETS.

FLOODING MAY IMPACT THE UPCOMINGBASEBALL SEASON AT SOME SCHOOLS.THIS "JACKSON PREP'S" BASEBALLFIELD.COACH BRENT HEAVENER SAYS HE'SNEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THISBEFORE.

"ALL MY YEARS ASSOCIATED WITHPREP ANY TYPE OF COACHING, IHAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKETHIS BESIDE COACH CROSBYHERE IN 79 WHEN THE FLOODHAPPENED NOBODY HAS SEENANYTHING LIKE THIS, SO ON A DAYLIKE TODAY IT'S NICE OUTSIDESUNNY GOT A LITTLE RAIN AND AFOOT AND HALF ALMOST TWO FEET OFWATER IN YOUR OUTFIELD NOTHINGYOU CAN DO ABOUT IT."THE NEXT HOME GAME FOR "PREP" ISTHIS SATURDAY.SCHOOL LEADERS ARE WAITING TODETERMINEIF THAT GAME WILL BE PLAYED.KEEP IT RIGHT HERE ON 16 WAPTFOR CONTINUING "FLOOD WATCH2020" COVERAGE.

YOU CAN GETUPDATES ON-AIR, ONLINE, OR ONTHE 16 WAPT NEWS APP.

THERE'S ANOTHER WATER ISSUE FORPEOPLE IN THE CITY OF JACKSOA CITYWIDE BOIL-WATER ADVISORYCONTINUES THIS MORNING-- BUTCITY LEADERS HOPE IT'SLIFTED BY MID-WEEK.THE ADVISORY WAS ISSUED THURSDAYBECAUSE OF A HIGH LEVEL OFCLOUDINESS INTHE WATER.CITY LEADERS ARE WORKING WITHTHE"MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH"TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE