Bridge, Phillips, Elam Drainage District News From the desk of Milton Sandy Jr
March 17, 2011
Vol 2011-1
This newsletter is directed to friends and supporters of our efforts to get something done about the repetitive flooding in Corinth and Alcorn County which on May 2, 2010, caused loss of life, public and private property and threatened public health and safety by the massive release of raw sewage into flood waters. If you have news, questions or comments, please fire away.
CORINTH WEATHER 101 Like a bear leaving hibernation, this week I was jump started by an email from MEMA Director Mike Womack declaring “Flood Awareness Week.” The email contained such interesting information I thought I would pass it along with some information I had been working on regarding Corinth's weather and flooding: PEARL – The state of Mississippi averages nearly 60 inches of rain each year which can cause flooding in our state. This is why Governor Haley Barbour has declared March 14-18 as Flood Awareness Week in Mississippi. Flooding is the most common and costliest disaster in our state.....This is why residents are encouraged to take this time to learn what their flood risk is and the benefits of buying flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). “What many people in our state don’t realize is that every family should carry flood insurance on their home, even if they don’t think they are at risk of flooding,” said MEMA Director Mike Womack.. “Many of the areas impacted by flooding are outside of the special flood hazard areas.” The entire state of Mississippi is a mapped flood zone with more than 5 million acres that fall within the “High Risk Zones” which means we all share some risk.
That last statement “the entire state of Mississippi is a mapped flood zone” reinforced what I have been saying since our last flood of May 2, 2010- we live in a swamp and we had better not forget it. We need to be prepared for weather events which put us at risk of flooding. In spite of the fact that we occupy some of the highest terrain in the state of Mississippi, Corinth is still at risk of flooding. I hope to share some more information on that subject in this newsletter. The above email went on to state that “Since the creating of the NFIP in 1978 there have been 42 Presidential Disaster declarations in Mississippi, 30 of those declarations were for flooding at a cost of nearly $3 billion.” “Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” It's an old quote from Mark Twain I'm often reminded of when I start thinking about weather. In general, we have wonderful weather here in Corinth, well-balanced, beautiful change of seasons, temperatures sometimes extreme but not for too long and not as extreme as many places we watch on the Weather Channel. Nobody in Corinth owns a snow plow, the street department will use a little sand in winter but never salt. People complain about the heat of summer, but stay inside in air conditioned homes and businesses.
Contact: Milton Sandy Jr 662-286-6087 - Fax 287-4187 - E-mail mlsandy@tsixroads.com