Residents begin to evacuate Eagle Lake - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS

Residents begin to evacuate Eagle Lake

It has the potential to be the worst flood in Mississippi history. Friday Govern Haley Barbour warned residents to begin preparations.

"Three weeks from now we're going to have a tremendous amount of water in places there has never been water in my lifetime," said Governor Barbour.

"It's gonna be bad, it's gonna be real bad," said Bobby DeRossette. He was helping Kay Mackey remove anything of value from her family home on Highway 465.

"It's sad coming up here, but you know, you just have to do what you got to do," said Mackey who officially moved out in 2008 after flood waters covered the house.

Water was rising up on both sides of Highway 465 Saturday afternoon. The Mississippi Department of transportation is planning to shut down this road as early as Sunday.  Caravans of evacuating residents lined the highway.

"Just getting things we wouldn't want to lose up and out of the way," said Eagle Lake resident Dale Jacobs.

Eagle Lake was once part of the Mississippi River.  It is now cut off by the main line levee.  The Army Corps of Engineers is managing a project that will raise the level of the lake eleven to thirteen feet.  Jacobs said the dock will likely be ruined, but the plan should protect his newly completed lake house.

"A lot of people working hard to keep where we are dry. I appreciate it," said Jacobs.

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