Mississippi Emergency Agency begins the process of evaluating flood damage

The Yazoo Backwater flood levels have been steadily decreasing and allowing for an effective evaluation of the structures affected.

“The lake level is still dropping, and the backwater level is still dropping” said Warren County Emergency Management Agency Director John Elfer. “We’re about 91 [feet] at Eagle Lake and about 90 [feet] on the backwater gauge. Eagle Lake will continue to fall until it gets to about 75 feet, which will probably be in about mid-October.”

With the decrease of water levels, the Warren County EMA has begun to assess property damage in the area to determine what buildings and structures of the 438 affected will be eligible for repair.

“The flood has created all kinds of problems,” Elfer said. “Right now we’re working on doing damage assessments to determine which of those structures is going to be allowed to be permitted, which is what we are trying to figure out now.”

Before making repairs to damaged buildings, owners must secure a permit from the county, and all permits have codes that must be adhered to. Owners should work with Warren County EMA to ensure all repairs, if permitted, are up to current building codes.

As the flood water levels continue to decrease, many employees and residents of the Mississippi backwater and Eagle Lake areas have begin to return to homes and businesses to recover items and monitor the falling water levels. Elfer urged everyone to be aware of a few safety precautions.

“The water has fallen significantly, and the flood has created all kinds of problems up there,” Elfer said. “There are obviously animals all over the place–wasp nests, trip hazards, biohazards are up there. There are a lot of nails, metal and wood.

“We encourage people that are going to be working in that area to have a current tetanus shot and hepatitis series shots. The heat is an issue, too, with the heat index over 100 degrees today. We encourage people to drink a lot of water and not alcoholic beverages. And getting plenty of rest is a big deal as well.”

In addition to basic health precautions, Elfer also urges caution on the roads.

“There are also traffic issues up there. MDOT is trying to work on the roads. Some of these roads are narrow and others have not been cleared,” he said. “There are hazards to people. There are hazards to tires, and there are just all kinds of problems.”