(CNN) — Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency Saturday followingnoon as weather and emergency management officials anticipate the Pearl River flooding on Monday, 24 hours earlier than initially projected.
“If the predictions prove accurate, the Pearl River is expected to peak on Monday, August 29 at 36 feet (10 meters),” Reeves said in the statement. “The state of Mississippi is as prepared as possible for this flooding. My administration, including MEMA, is monitoring this situation closely and actively working to respond as quickly as possible to ongoing developments with flooding.”
State emergency management officials have already begun assessing water levels along the river and have deployed more than 100,000 sandbags, according to the statement.
Officials first predicted the Pearl River would reach 36 feet (10 meters) and crest by Tuesday, CNN reported, however the river is now expected to crest Monday through Monday night, management officials said. of emergencies at a press conference on Saturday.
Barnett Reserve General Manager John Sigmund warned of rising waters ahead of the crest, as the water is expected to rise steadily, before slowly falling.
“It looks like we’re going to be in the flood waters that we’re seeing even today, probably well into the end of the week with a gradual recession following that,” Sigmund said.
Sigmund said scattered and isolated rain during the week is not expected to have a significant impact on water levels.
