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More delays for truckers as the South gets drenched (with forecast video)

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

The remnants of Tropical Storm Beta have been trudging through the South over the past two days, dumping daily record rainfall in eastern Texas and western Mississippi. Thursday, roadblocks and driver delays are possible from northeastern Mississippi to the Tennessee Valley.

Houston got slammed with flash flooding Tuesday. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (ICAO code: IAH) reported a daily record rainfall of 3.58 inches, while the William P. Hobby Airport (ICAO code: HOU) received a whopping 7.32 inches, also a daily record.

Wednesday, parts of Mississippi were doused. Greenville reported 3.20 inches of rainfall, while Greenwood received 2.67, Vicksburg got 1.92 and Tupelo had 1.90 — all records for Sept. 23.

Heavy rain continued to fall across central and eastern Mississippi Thursday morning, including the Interstate 55 corridor. So far, the Mississippi Department of Transportation has not reported any interstate closures due to flooding, but this may change at any moment.


Flash flooding could occur Thursday in places like Jackson, Starkville and Columbus, Mississippi, in addition to Huntsville, Alabama, and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The National Weather Service has flash flooding watches posted until early Thursday afternoon from Jackson to Columbus, Mississippi, and the Huntsville, Alabama, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, metropolitan areas until Thursday evening and late Thursday night, respectively. Drivers may run into delays and roadblocks on portions of Interstates 22, 24, 55, 65 and 75.

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.


Nick Austin

Nick is a meteorologist with 20 years of forecasting and broadcasting experience. He was nominated for a Midsouth Emmy for his coverage during a 2008 western Tennessee tornado outbreak. He received his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Florida State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Georgia Tech. Nick is a member of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association. As a member of the weather team at WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tennessee, Nick was nominated for a Mid-South Emmy for live coverage of a major tornado outbreak in February 2008. As part of the weather team at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nick shared the Chattanooga Times-Free Press Best of the Best award for “Best Weather Team” eight consecutive years.