FLOWOOD, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Construction on a flood relief plan for areas along the Pearl river in Hinds and Rankin counties, is getting closer to becoming a reality.
Monday the Levee Board met in Flowood with the Pearl River Vision Foundation.
A suburban with what looks to be a giant wing on the back will be prowling neighborhoods along the Pearl river in coming weeks. It's actually a laser survey computer on wheels, mapping out what could go under water in a 500 year flood.
Stephen Clancy of Michael Baker Jr. Inc. says, "It captures photography and also about 1/2 million laser shots per second as were driving down the road, were capturing very accurate survey grade information. It's a lot better than putting surveyors on the ground and having to go on people's property through their front doors to capture the same information."
The information is being collected for the Pearl river vision foundation, which is studying how creating a dam, and building a lake on the Pearl river, could help with flood control in the future.
Dallas Quinn of the Pearl River Vision Foundation, formerly the Two Lakes and Lefluer Lakes plan says, "We take that data compare it where the project is constructed, you see the reduction in flooding, the reduction in economic damage as well, that is what were using that data for."
Those conducting the study say 5,500 structures have been built since the flood of 1979. The digital flood map should show what effect a flood would have on those, and any other homes and businesses in the area.
Clancy says, "Were going to enter it into a geographic information system so we can have these points in 3d space, so we can integrate it with other existing data like assessed values, property ownership, so we can see really how this will impact the community."
All information they plan to make available for everyone in the coming weeks, as they draw closer to the design phase of their flood plan.
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