Heavy rainfall causes severe flooding in central Mississippi

Torrential rain fell for several hours Thursday in central Mississippi, flooding roads and sending water into homes and businesses in Winston County and Louisville.

Winston County Sheriff Jason Pugh said law enforcement officers rescued three people from vehicles and removed several others from homes as the water rose.

Swift water washed one car into a ditch, and the driver escaped before the car submerged. The man stood knee-deep in the floodwater on top of his car as officers rescued him, Pugh told The Associated Press.

About 17,500 people live in Winston County. The largest town, Louisville, is which is about 95 miles northeast of Jackson.

No deaths or serious injuries were reported in the county within the first six hours of the heavy rainfall, which started at about 6 a.m., the sheriff said.

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“We’re urging our residents not to travel unless absolutely necessary,” Pugh said. “We’re going to have a lot of roads washed out after this has receded.”

Pugh said the last time he can recall this type of rapid rainfall in the area was in 1977, when he was a child.

“There are streets in Louisville that are flooded that I’ve never seen flooded,” he said.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation issued warnings flash flooding on some state highways in Winston County.