Flood warning in effect for Quitman County, roads at risk

Floodwater threatened the roads that tie Marks, Lambert and Crowder together as a National Weather Service warning stayed in effect for Quitman County through June 23. Repeated rain raised the risk that small streams, drainage ditches and low spots could turn into barricaded routes, disrupting school runs, farm traffic, emergency response and everyday trips across the county’s rural road network.

The Weather Service’s Quitman forecast page showed a Flood Watch from 6:01 p.m. CDT on June 19 to 7:00 p.m. CDT that same evening, then a Flood Warning from 6:01 p.m. CDT on June 19 through 9:40 a.m. CDT on June 23. In a county with fewer alternate routes than larger places, even short stretches of standing water can force detours that ripple through work commutes, grocery trips and access to health care and public services.

The Tallahatchie River near Lambert remains the gauge that best captures the county’s flood risk. NOAA’s flood-impact guidance says 34.5 feet means widespread flooding is in progress in northern Quitman County, with numerous homes, businesses and roads flooded and most agricultural land along both banks inundated. At 36.5 feet, NOAA says most of Marks and Lambert will be flooded unless protected by sand bags, and many roads will be covered by floodwater.

The warning arrived during a broader weather pattern that had already pushed remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur into Mississippi and prompted flood, flash-flood and tornado warnings in parts of the state. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said it was coordinating response efforts as flooding impacts continued across portions of South Mississippi, underscoring how quickly the situation could shift from nuisance rain to public-safety problem.

Quitman County has seen this reach of the Tallahatchie River before. NWS Memphis flood statements in April 2025 and May 2025 also included the Tallahatchie River near Lambert and forecast minor flooding, a reminder that this is a recurring concern rather than a one-time event. Weather officials continue to stress the same warning for drivers: do not drive through flooded roads, do not go around barricades and do not assume shallow water is safe, because most flood deaths happen in vehicles and washed-out pavement can be hidden beneath moving water.