Marion County is facing the potential of flash flooding and tornadoes in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey.
Two to four inches of rain are expected to fall by Friday, according to Daniel Lamb, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Jackson.
Lamb said the center of Harvey will pass west of Columbia, tracking up Louisiana and through the Mississippi Delta, but this area will still feel the side effects of the storm that has devastated southeast Texas with heavy rains.
He said they may start to see some potential for flooding around Columbia. As of Tuesday, Lamb said they are calling it a “limited threat,” but that could be upgraded to a flash flood watch.
There’s also a chance for sporadic tornadoes this week. The eastern side of a tropical storm tends to produce scattered storms that rotate, Lamb said. That increased amount of spin in the atmosphere can lead to tornadoes, he said, which are different from typical tornadoes produced by strong cold fronts in the spring and fall.
Pictured Above: Heavy rains in Marion County could continue and cause isolated flooding. Many residents have been filling sandbags in preparation. | Photo by Charlie Smith
