Pine Burr, downtown Columbia hit hard
Oneil Chiasson pulled up his waders with one hand, a machete in the other, as he made his way down Pine Burr Road Friday, making sure water didn’t come over the top.
It had already poured through at an estimated four to five feet under his home, which is on stilts, after the Lower Little River spilled over its banks.
Other homeowners, whose houses are on the ground, weren’t so lucky.
“We are damaged really, really badly, but there are folks around us who are a lot worse off,” he said.
The flooding forced multiple south Marion County residents out of their homes after rains of up to 18 inches fell between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.
More than a dozen roads were closed, and first responders rescued multiple stranded residents.
The Marion County Emergency Management Office in downtown Columbia recorded 8.85 inches, while Joe Joe Temples of Sandy Hook reported 14.52 inches of rain for the duration of the storm. Roger Blackmon of Lakeview said as of 5 p.m. Thursday 4.2 inches had fallen and by the end of the storm it totaled just over 9 inches.
Stranded motorist and flooding calls began coming in around 7 p.m. across the county.
Just after 7, South Marion Volunteer Fire Department was called to Mississippi 43 South and Clear Creek Church Road to rescue a family in a car. They couldn’t see to turn around in heavy rain, and the highway was flooded.
At around 8 p.m. the Southwest Marion Volunteer Fire Department was called to assist the Sheriff’s Office in closing and detouring Mississippi 35 South near the 35 Diner. Water covered the roadway and made it impassible for passenger cars.
Calls continued through the night as South Marion and Pine Burr firefighters assisted residents in leaving their homes.
“It was pretty bad across the county,” Emergency Management Director Aaron Greer said. “We’ve handed out some sandbags and still have them available. A few people on (Mississippi) 43 South had to leave their homes. The fire department was helping get them out.”
About 15 miles south of Columbia off Mississippi 13, Chiasson was looking for help Friday. He said he expected to see the National Guard and helicopters when the sun came up, but instead there was nothing. He said he called multiple agencies, from the Army Corps of Engineers to the governor’s office, but found little help.
“I’m calling everyone I can think of and either they’re claiming not to know anything or stonewalling or sandbagging. That’s a little ridiculous,” he said.
One exception was Marion County Supervisor Terry Broome, whom Chiasson said was working on a backhoe to relieve flooding when Chiasson reached him on the phone.
Michael Day, who lives on nearby Day Lane off Pine Burr Road, said his family evacuated Thursday night.
“The water rose so fast. It hasn’t risen that quickly since the collapse of Big Bay dam,” he said. “It’s in my neighbor’s house now.”
The Lower Little River runs through Pine Burr, and loggers changed the route of the river more than 100 years ago, Day said. When a flood comes, the water follows the natural river bed. Nature wins.
Pine Burr Baptist Church had a lot of water in it, and the pavement was washed out in some places.
“I have a 12-inch rain gauge, and it was full at midnight,” Day said. “We probably got about 18 inches of rain. My house is 10 feet off the ground, and the water is only a foot away.”
For Chiasson, everything underneath his house was ruined, from a Camaro and a truck to tools. His kayaks were up in trees and filled with water, so he had to walk around in waders.
The 57-year-old self-described Cajun had moved to Pine Burr in the spring from Louisiana after buying 14 acres. The retiree had always wanted a quiet place in the country to live and hunt.
Smoking a cigarette and with a machete in his hand, Chiasson is asked if he plans to stay.
“I’m not going anywhere. Are you kidding me?” is his reply. “It’s going to take a lot more than this.”
Road Closures:
Road closures during the storm included:
• Mississippi 35 South between Anderson Canal and Hurricane Creek Roads
• Most roads of Mississippi 35 S. connecting with Old Mississippi 35 S.
• Anderson Canal Road
• Joe Magee Road
• Williamsburg Road (south bridge) culvert for bridge detour washed out
• Pine Burr Road
• Beach Road
• Brushy Creek Road
• National Guard Road on the Lakeview Side
• Mississippi Hwy. 586 at Water Valley Road
Pictured Above: Oneil Chiasson wades down Pine Burr Road near his home Friday. South Marion County was particularly hard hit after heavy rains came through Thursday afternoon and into Friday morning. Joe Joe Temples of Sandy Hook reported 14.52 inches of rain fell. | Photo by Charlie Smith
