NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency Saturday ahead of expected flooding from the Pearl River.
The river is projected to crest at 36 feet by early Monday morning.
“The City of Jackson is advising residents who were affected by the 2020 flood to make evacuation plans in the next 48 hours as the water level of the Pearl River is increasing and expected to crest at 36 feet in the coming days,” the city of Jackson said in a Friday statement.
DALLAS FLOODING: DISASTER DECLARED FOLLOWING RAIN EVENT; AT LEAST 1 PERSON KILLED
“If this happens, there will be dozens of streets in downtown Jackson that will flood,” Reeves said, according to Mississippi Today.
Reeves added that both businesses and residential areas would be jeopardized by current projections of the Pearl River.
Local authorities have begun handing out sandbags to residents at risk of flooding, encouraging homeowners to raise and strengthen their properties’ boundaries.
MASS EVACUATION UNDERWAY IN ARIZONA TOWN AS RIVER OVERFLOWS, REACHES ‘MAJOR FLOOD STAGE’
Dozens of children and day care workers were evacuated earlier this week in Mississippi.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey shared a video to Facebook that shows rescuers evacuating several toddlers, some who can be heard crying, from their flooded day care.
“I am so proud of the men and women of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office,” Bailey wrote alongside the video. “During disasters like today’s flooding, all sheriffs department employees come together as a team and do whatever has to be done to help the people.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Florence Mayor Bob Morris told WJTV there were 104 children, ages six-weeks to five years old in the Railroad Center Daycare building when the water began to rise.
Fox News’ Pilar Arias contributed to this report.