Torrential rainfall throughout most of the state last week caused streams and creeks to swell well beyond flooding stage, but Lauderdale County seems to have escaped most of the damage.

Lauderdale County Emergency Management Director Odie Barrett said his office had not received any reports of flooding from excessive rain inundating the Chunky and Okatibbee rivers.

Data from the National Weather Service show both rivers reached peak capacity on Thursday of last week with the Chunky River surpassing the minor flood stage to reach more than 24 feet and Okatibbee reaching the action stage at more than 17 feet.

While the water was high, Barrett said LEMA was unaware of any homes or businesses that had flooding as a result.

“Nothing off of that (river flooding) that has been reported,” Barrett said.

Both rivers have since fallen well below levels of concern with the Chunky at 4.8 feet and Okatibbee at 9.2 feet. Sowashee Creek, which did not reach the flood stage, was reported Monday at 4.8 feet.

Lauderdale County residents may have escaped the floodwaters, but residents in Jackson did not. The Pearl River in Jackson reached more than 35.3 feet Monday, well above the moderate flood stage of 33 feet and almost to the major flood stage of 36 feet.

On Saturday, Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency for the capitol city ahead of the rising waters. Reeves said residents living in areas of Jackson hit by flooding in February 2020 could expect to be flooded again.

“The time is now to start making preparations to protect you and your family,” he said in a statement posted to Twitter. “If you home flooded in 2020, there is a high probability it will happen again.”

Jackson officials expected 100 to 150 homes would be impacted by the flooding, and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba urged residents in flood prone areas to evacuate if they could, the AP reported.

Over the weekend, Reeves said, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency worked to distribute more than 125,000 sandbags, stage search and rescue teams and deploy drones to provide real-time information to emergency responders.

The Pearl River was expected to peak at about 35.5 feet late Monday before slowly receding throughout the remainder of the week. On Twitter MEMA asked those who evacuated to wait to return until the all-clear was given.

“We ask that you don’t return home until your local officials say it’s safe to do so,” MEMA said.

Looking ahead, scattered showers and storms are possible in the afternoons through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Jackson.

Locals should see drier days Thursday and Friday with chances of showers and storms increasing again over the weekend, but no major hazards expected as far as severe weather or additional flash flooding.

Pearl River should be cresting through the rest of the day and then slowly falling through the week.