Rain, rain go away

Published 11:11 am Wednesday, March 28, 2018

As if the Oxford area hasn’t had enough rain in 2018, here comes what could be our biggest deluge yet.

Typically, it’s only the remnants of a hurricane passing through that yields forecasts of potential rainfall of up to 5 inches over 24 hours. There’s no leftover hurricane passing through North Mississippi today and Thursday but, still, weather forecasts say localized flooding can be expected with some 3 to 5 inches of rain possible through tonight and another inch possible in the morning tomorrow.

Let’s hope those numbers aren’t realized since we’ll have damaging leaks and episodic flooding if it does happen. Rivers and creeks are already swollen. Other low-lying areas not normally prone to flooding would face risk if we get that much rain, that fast.

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After our rainiest February on record, our early spring is shaping up the same way: soggy. We’ve rarely seen weather like this in these parts. It’s usually our coastal friends to the south, in places like Mobile and New Orleans, that are more prone to such rainfall.

But the pattern is ours this season and for the next 24 hours or so we’ll just have to hunker down and make the best of it. Avoiding driving during the heaviest downpours is the best advice since roadways can flood quickly in low-lying areas.