JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Flooding left squishy, stinky messes in hundreds of homes in Mississippi’s capital city in 2020 — a recurring problem when heavy rains push the Pearl River over its banks.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it intends to make a final recommendation by the end of this year on flood-control plans for the Pearl River Basin in the Jackson area, after decades of discussion among local, state and federal officials.
The biggest point of contention is whether to develop a new lake near Jackson. It would be south of, and smaller than, a reservoir built outside the city more than 60 years ago.
While Jackson-area residents and business owners are pushing for flood mitigation, people are also expressing concern about the potential environmental impact in areas downstream in both Mississippi and Louisiana.
The corps is wrapping up a public comment period on a report it released in June, which included several flood-control proposals such as elevating, flood-proofing or buying out some homes in the Jackson area; development of a new lake; or the addition of levees.
During a hearing last month, Deion Thompson told corps officials he had to evacuate his northeast Jackson home because of the 2020 flooding. He said he wants to protect houses without destroying the environment.
“We’re just sitting ducks waiting for the next flood to happen,” said Thompson, who has lived in the same neighborhood for more than 20 years.
The Pearl River originates northeast of Jackson and flows about 490 miles (789 kilometers) through central and southern Mississippi and south Louisiana before draining into the Mississippi Sound, Lake Borgne and the Gulf of Mexico.
The Jackson area also experienced significant floods in 1961, 1979, 1982 and 1983, with some impact along the Pearl River downstream.
During a public hearing in Slidell, Louisiana, Gerald Morris said he has lived in Slidell since 1977 and experienced floods in 1979 and 1983. He said he has a bachelor’s degree in geological engineering, a master’s degree in geophysics and doctoral degree in earth sciences.
“If you can show that your various options that
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