Published: August 24, 2008 10:51 pm      

Fay’s winds down trees Saturday night

More rain expected from Fay as system lifts northward

Volunteer firefighters were busy in the southeastern part of Lauderdale County Saturday night as blustery winds downed some trees.

The ground, soaked by several inches of rain brought on by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay, gave way to the gusty winds that sometimes reached 40 mph. Although no serious property damage was reported, trees did fall across roadways and blocked traffic until volunteer firefighters could cut away the debris.

"The Vimville and Causeyville areas saw quite a few trees downed creating some road hazards," said Clarence Butler, the Lauderdale County Fire Coordinator.

As of Sunday evening, a mass of rain still showing some circulation associated with what is left of Fay, swirled through southeastern Louisiana up the Mississippi River to Vicksburg and Jackson. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Jackson said residents in eastern Mississippi could expect another round of moderate to heavy rainfall beginning early today.

"As the system stalls and then begins to lift north-northeast, parts of central and eastern Mississippi will start to see more rain moving into their areas," said Chad Entremont, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "Residents in Lauderdale County will be seeing steady rain through today and into Tuesday."

The good news is that the sun will shine sooner or later.

"Yes the sun will come out eventually," Entremont said with a laugh. "Later in the week, once all of Fay has moved on to the northeast, there should be a period of favorable weather giving everyone a chance to dry out."

But in the meantime, residents should be wary of flash flooding. This is especially true for residents who live in low lying areas or near creeks and rivers.