Robert Smith Sr. is used to driving through water on North Washington Street opposite his small store at Waltersville Road, but Wednesday a rushing stream of muddy water flowed into and around his store and living quarters beneath.

“The drainage ditch across the street filled up and the water came flowing straight down the hill and into the house,” Smith said. “There’s usually a puddle out there, but right now the mud is knee-deep at that drainage ditch and it’s all backed up. It looks pretty rough.”

The flow of water had stopped this morning, and the front porch of the store was blocked off by a pile of sandbags. The drainage ditch across North Washington Street was still ringed by traffic cones, and city workers placed sewer department caution signs around the mud piles early Wednesday morning.

“We cleared out the drains and opened them up this morning,” Bubba Rainer, director of public works, said Wednesday afternoon. “With all the rain, silt and debris washed down from the hill, it covered the drain up. It must have silted back up during the morning.” Rainer said erosion from the hill has been a problem there in the past, but never to the extent that drainage basins backed up.

Smith, who has worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for 36 years, said he bought the store eight years ago, and in December is due to make his final mortgage payment. “I just talked to my wife last night about the insurance,” he said, “but she hadn’t called them yet.” His son, Robert Jr., lives in the downstairs quarters but went to stay with his parents when he noticed water beginning to seep into the building Monday night.

As of Wednesday night, Smith and other family members had not been in the building to assess the damage.

The small convenience store had been closed for several years but Smith had been working on permits and other requirements to reopen. “The city came and told me to fix the sign out there,” Smith said. “Now there’s not even any footing out there to stand on to fix it. The water washed it away, along with a telephone pole and a street light.”

Rain gauge

7 a.m. Tuesday……………….4.05

7 a.m. Wednesday………….3.40

7 a.m. today…………………….3.30

Total……………………………..10.75

An additional 3.3 inches of rain fell on the city Wednesday, an amount nearly equal to the normal average of 3.22 inches for the entire month. Gustav has dumped a total of 10.75 inches of rain on the city since Monday. As rain continued to fall Wednesday afternoon, roads were busy despite a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service and local emergency sirens sounding alarms.

Students at several schools were shepherded into hallways, as were employees at the Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District on East Clay Street to wait out the alarm. Warren Central Junior High School held up dismissal and busing while the school resource officer checked road safety.

“Once we got that report, they went ahead and released the buses,” said Superintendent James Price.

At Warrenton Elementary, power was restored and then lost again Wednesday morning as a tree fell on Belva Drive and took out two power lines, Price said. Students were kept at the school rather than released. “A huge consideration in a case like this is what the temperature is inside the building,” he said. “With the rain that was not an issue. Conditions were right today, and it was less traumatic to keep the students than to try to alert parents and caregivers to come and pick them up.”

More rain and thunderstorms have been forecast for today and Friday, though accumulations were predicted at less than an inch, according to the National Weather Service. A flood warning remained in effect until 11 a.m., however, as streams, bayous and drainage ditches continued to funnel heavy rains of the past few days. “Crests on bayous and larger streams will not occur until Thursday afternoon or Friday,” NWS reported.

Power had been restored to all but 14 Vicksburg homes, said Don Arnold, spokesman for Entergy. About 14,000 homes statewide were still without power this morning.

Red Cross shelters remained in business Wednesday night, though three closed Wednesday night and one more closed this morning as evacuees began to leave for home, said Janice Sawyer, emergency services director for the Vicksburg Area Chapter. Still open this morning were Calvary Baptist Church on Old Highway 27, with 21 people; First Baptist Church on Cherry Street, with 64; and Hawkins United Methodist Church on Halls Ferry Road, with 22. At the peak of the evacuation Monday, local shelters housed about 700 people.

“We are hoping to consolidate down to just one shelter today,” Sawyer said. “We’ll make that decision by noon.”

Sawyer continued to praise area church members and other local volunteers for their efforts. “We’re all tired but still in good spirits, and feel very well rewarded by how well this community has come together to help people. Days before evacuees even get here our staff and volunteers begin meeting and working to get ready.”

Vicksburg’s 911 Emergency Center reported 16 calls for motor vehicle accidents, 27 reports of trees or limbs fallen, and seven incidents of power lines down Wednesday.