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Leaking levee forces evacuations in Yazoo County neighborhood
Crystal Tisme
Multimedia Journalist
Cecil Hannibal
Morning Anchor
Leaking levee forces evacuations in Yazoo County neighborhood
WORK TO DRAIN THE LAKE AND KEEP THE LEVEE FROM BREAKING. MADELEINE. . . THAT'S RIGHT AS YOU CAN SEE OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO PUMP OUT WATER BUT IF YOU COME OVER HERE YOU CAN SEE WHERE THERE CONCERNS COME FROM. THE WATER SO HIGH THE ROAD ITSELF IS CORRODING...ALONG WITH THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER ALL THE RAIN THAT HAS COME THROUGH HERE IN THE PAST 24-48HRS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR SAYS THEY WARNED RESIDENTS IN THE AREA THAT THE LEVEE COULD BREAK. ONLY ONE HOUSEHOLD HAD A MANDATORY EVACUATION BECAUSE THEY ARE SITUATED IN THE FLOOD ZONE DOWNSTREAM, OTHERS ABOUT 7-8 HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS THE LEVEE HERE WERE GIVEN THE OPTION TO STAY OR TO GO...BUT THEY WOULD BE TRAPPED IF THE LEVEE DID BREAK. THE NEXT STEP IS TO MAKE SURE THE ROAD, IS STABLE ENOUGH TO DRIVE ON...AND HOPE THAT MORE RAIN DOESN'T AFFECT THE WORK BEING DONE OUT HERE. <JACK WILLINGHAM - EMA YAZOO COUNTY "IF WE STOP PUMPING RIGHT NOW AND IT DOESN'T RAIN THEN NO, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUMP TO GET THE LEVEL DOWN AND CUT THE PRESSURE OFF SO THEY CAN DETERMINE THE DAMAGE TO THE ROADWAY AND SEE IF IT IS SAFE TO TRAVEL ON, BUT THE ROADWAY WON'T BE OPEN UNTIL TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO IN AND CHECK THE INTEGRITY OF THE ROAD.> A LOT OF RESIDENTS WE SPOKE TO SAY THIS ISN'T A NEW ISSUE, AND EVERYTIME A LOT OF RAIN COMES THEY FEAR THE LEVEE MAY BREAK. AND ON TOP OF THIS ISSUE HERE, WILLINGHAM SAYS THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF OTHER STORM DAMAGE COUNTY WIDE FROM TREES DOWN, TO FLASH FLOODING. AND RIGHT NOW, HE SAYS THEY ARE WORKING TO OPEN UP A TEMPORARY SHELTER FOR THOSE IN NEE
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Leaking levee forces evacuations in Yazoo County neighborhood
Crystal Tisme
Multimedia Journalist
Cecil Hannibal
Morning Anchor
In Yazoo County, disaster appears to have been avoided at a neighborhood lake.The Yazoo County Sheriff's Office asked some residents in the Eastbrook subdivision on Highway 16 to leave their homes Wednesday. In an update, the sheriff's office said county emergency officials have been monitoring the levee."As of now, all people that need to evacuate have been notified. All other residents just be aware of what’s going on. This is only for The Eastbrook subdivision on Highway 16, east of Highway 49, in Yazoo County," the sheriff's office said on social media.The Yazoo County Sheriff's Office also reiterated that this does not impact the levee on Highway 3 in Yazoo City. Yazoo County Emergency Management Director Jack Willingham told 16 WAPT that at least one home is downstream and could be affected by floodwaters. The home has since been evacuated. Pumps were brought in to pull some of the water out of the lake. After running for almost 24 hours, the pumps were stopped. The water level has gone down on the lake significantly and the road closer to the lake was drivable again on Thursday. The water caused significant erosion, so the levee and road will have to be repaired, authorities said.
YAZOO COUNTY, Miss. —

In Yazoo County, disaster appears to have been avoided at a neighborhood lake.

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The Yazoo County Sheriff's Office asked some residents in the Eastbrook subdivision on Highway 16 to leave their homes Wednesday. In an update, the sheriff's office said county emergency officials have been monitoring the levee.

"As of now, all people that need to evacuate have been notified. All other residents just be aware of what’s going on. This is only for The Eastbrook subdivision on Highway 16, east of Highway 49, in Yazoo County," the sheriff's office said on social media.

The Yazoo County Sheriff's Office also reiterated that this does not impact the levee on Highway 3 in Yazoo City.

Yazoo County Emergency Management Director Jack Willingham told 16 WAPT that at least one home is downstream and could be affected by floodwaters. The home has since been evacuated.

Pumps were brought in to pull some of the water out of the lake. After running for almost 24 hours, the pumps were stopped. The water level has gone down on the lake significantly and the road closer to the lake was drivable again on Thursday.

The water caused significant erosion, so the levee and road will have to be repaired, authorities said.