Flood in Tunica County, Mississippi

Continued heavy rainfall brought many road closures to Tunica County due to flooded roadways. Several homes were evacuated off Highway 3 in Robinsonville. A total of 118 homes were damaged. Forty-four roads suffered damage and 245 people were displaced.

A classic heavy rain pattern set up over the Mid-South during the period of March 9th, 2016 to March 13th, 2016. A cold front stretched from Nebraska to Texas on the morning of March 8th. The front moved southeastward and stalled across Southeast Missouri as an upper level low remained stationary over Texas. A very moist atmosphere was in place over the Mid-South south of this boundary. Several weak low pressure centers developed and moved along the stalled front. As a result, periods of heavy rain, up to an inch per hour in some cases, fell over the same locations. Over the several day stretch, the front fluctuated at times shifting the heaviest band of rain. The storm total rainfall over the 5 day period ranged from four to ten inches over Northwest Mississippi. The heavy rain caused widespread flash flooding and many roads were closed as a result. In addition, numerous streams and small rivers overflowed their banks.