The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-03-12
Heavy Rainfall Floods County; Roads
Submerged, Escaiawpa Is Isolated

Highways were submerged,
communities isolated and proper
ty flooded in jackson county dur
ing the past week by an unusu-
ally heavy rainfall which sent
creeks and rivers over their banks
and backed up drainage systems.
During the eight days between
March 2 and 10 a total of 1904
inches of rain fell in this vicinity,
according to the official rain
gauge loaned to the Pascagoula
high school by the government.
The heaviest fall in a "a hour
period was on Friday when 7.8
inches fell, according to 4. A.
Parker, vocational director at the
school.
The Escatawpa river went on a
rampage and turned the time
clock back 30 years when com
muters from Escatawpa to Moss
Point, and vice versa, had to ferry
the river to get to their destins-
ton.
Highway 90 was completely
submerged for a mile between the
two cities with the depth of the
water ranging up to about five
feet. Traffic was halted across
the river bridge Sunday night
and had not been resumed late
Thursday. Water was reported
still rising at midweek as small
tributaries Of the river poured
their overflow into the Escataw-
pa.
Emergency Boats
Several private boats have been
acting as ferrys all week. trans
porting commuters, travellers and
sight-seers from one side to the
other. Karl wiesenburg. chairman
of the Red Cross disaster commit
tee, stated that there Is no imme-
date danger and there have been
no excavations but the Red Cross
has . boat standing BY on each
side of the river all night for
emergencies. Facilities are avail
able to take care Of doctors or
patients, as the case may be, once
they cross the river.
Escatswpa students who 60 to
Moss Point High school are get
ting an unscheduled holiday as
they are unable to attend classes.
Several cars are stranded be-
tween the Moss Point end Of the
river bridge and Moss Point that
have been there since traffic was
stopped Sunday night. Buses are
coming as far as Eseatawpa and
passengers are being transported
by boat to other buses on the
other side.
Highway 30 was threatened
with submersion in several places
and Nine Mile Lake lowered at
the edge of the pavement for
several days Water in that sec.
ton. however, was reported to be
dropping
During the weekend water was
reported to be running board high
on the fill between Pascagoula
and Gautier at the second bridge
and covered the highway for
about rs yards
Highway SO was blocked at
V~anclesve Saturday but SUBJ
sided enough to clear the road
by Sunday. Detours around
bridges which are under repair
in that vicinity were reported
impossible.
Long Detour
Water was up in both Pasca-
goula and Moss Point flowing
over streets and in yards but
traffic was not halted although
it was considerably slowed down.
city officials said.
The longest detour reported
which was caused by the high
water was that of Clifton Long,
employee at the L and N station
at kreole who, with his wife and
son who work in Moss Point,
drove to work via Lueedale and
Mobile, a distance of over a hun
bred miles. Mr.. Longs son, Rob-
ert E. Long, lives only five miles
from Moss Point, Mr.. Long said.
The elder Longs residence is
about II miles from Moss Point.
Considerable inconven-
fence was experienced by truck
ers Transporting meats and other
perishable foods along Highway
So and dairy farmers who market
their milk along the coast were
faced with a problem in working
out q route to reach the purchas-
ers.