Vicksburg and Warren County residents can expect rain totaling 4 to 7 inches from Thursday possibly through Sunday as a low pressure system moves north from Louisiana.

“The models have the low coming inland at coastal Louisiana and up into parts of Mississippi, so where the heaviest rainfall occurs will depend in that track,” said Thomas Winesett, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office on Jackson. “It will start making its northward turn Thursday. The heaviest rain will be tomorrow night through about Saturday, but we could have heavy rain could go into Sunday as well.”

Winesett said the system is not a tropical system. He said some places in the affected area could see rainfall totals more than 7 inches.

The potential for severe weather, such as tornadoes, is minimal, he said. “This is a rain-maker,” he added.

While some of the outer bands of the system dumped heavy rain on sections of the county Thursday afternoon, Warren County Emergency Management Director John Elfer said the heaviest rains will start hitting the area Friday.

“The low lying areas can expect flooding, and we will have hazards blocking roads like we did (during heavy rains) in March,” he said. “We want to urge people not to drive in flooded areas. Remember, ‘Turn around, don’t drown.’”

It the system meets the Weather Service predictions, it will mark the third time this year the area has been struck by heavy rains.

In July, 5.15 inches of rain fell between July 24 and 31, causing road shoulders to erode and the runoff to clog box culverts under North Washington Street, forcing the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to declare an emergency to get them cleared.

In March, according to the National Weather Service gauge at Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport, 12.19 inches of rain fell locally — the third most for this area during March, said NWS meteorologist Brad Bryant. The record was 14.11 inches in March 1961.