Hattiesburg faces flash floods and high water | News

HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM)- After more than 24 hours of near constant rain, the Pine Belt was soaked, flooded, bloated and - in some places - closed for business Thursday.

Construction work was mired in the rains and outdoor recreation venues were shuttered as relentless spring showers pounded Hattiesburg and surrounding communities.

"How much, how much is still coming," said Brandon Pearce, owner of Black Creek Canoe Rental. "Of course you know hear that this is just kind of sitting over us and every time I check the radar it looks the same as it did two hours earlier."

In some places water poured over the road, slowing down morning commutes. In west Hattiesburg homeowners dealing with flash floods were concerned.

"Every time it rains heavily, this is what happens," said homeowner James Armstrong pointing to flooded yards near his neighborhood.

Armstrong was also concerned about what would inevitably follow the storms.

"When you have, as you can see, a whole accumulation of water. When all that sets in, even after it stops raining, it's still sitting there, we have a big nest full of mosquitos."

With rain likely to be on and off into Friday, the concern Thursday is bodies of water, and residents being isolated or trapped as rivers and creeks inch closer to the doorstep or wash out driveways and key connecting roads.

"Some of the residents they can't get in their driveways, but not any homes should have water in them at this point," said Pearce.

Already, Little Black Creek has risen about fifteen feet since Wednesday.

Once the rain subsides it will likely take about a week for the creek to go back down to it's normal depth of about five or six feet.

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