Historic amount of rain has fallen on Gulfport area, and Hancock saw even more
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- Gulfport area recorded 14.5 inches of rain in May, its second-wettest on record.
- Pearl River and portions of Hancock County saw 25 to 30 inches of rain in May.
- A flood warning for Pascagoula River at Graham Ferry is in effect until Tuesday evening.
Last month was the second-wettest May on record for the Gulfport area, with northern Hancock and Pearl River counties seeing even higher rainfall totals.
The Gulfport area saw 14.5 inches of rainfall in May, compared to 17.63 inches in May 1980, the National Weather Service reported. NWS records for the Gulfport area date to 1894. Pearl River and portions of Hancock County saw a total of 25 to 30 inches of rain, but the NWS did not have historical totals for the county.
“We had a couple of notable systems, and we also had a daily pattern of thunderstorms as well,” said Hannah Lisney, NWS meteorologist for the New Orleans area, which covers Mississippi’s three southernmost counties.
Moderate or major flooding occurred twice during May on the Hobolochitto Creek in Pearl River County, which is “pretty rare,” Lisney said.
Rivers also topped their banks in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties. Flash-flooding also covered roadways.
For the most part, South Mississippi dried out on Sunday and Monday, but chances of rain are about to increase again. On Tuesday, the NWS forecasts a 40% chance of rain, increasing to 60% Tuesday night. Chances of rain diminish Wednesday and Thursday.
The NWS also warned of chances for strong isolated thunderstorms that could hit South Mississippi until 8 p.m. Monday, potentially accompanied by gusty wind, frequent lightning and small hail.
A flood warning remains in effect until Tuesday evening for the Pascagoula River at Graham Ferry. Minor flooding could occur in Jackson County, the NWS says. The river was at 16.3 feet late Monday morning. Flood stage is 16 feet. The NWS expects the river to fall below flood stage early Tuesday afternoon.
