Flash Flooding in Mississippi, January 29 to 30, 1999

Name: Flash Flooding in Mississippi, January 29 to 30, 1999
Start: 1999-01-29T23:00
End: 1999-01-30T03:30
Location: Mississippi

January 29 to 30, 1999 · NWS JAN · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Strong thunderstorms moved across southern Mississippi flooding numerous roads and homes. A few roads were closed and a few bridges were washed out.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $850,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS JAN wrote it up.

Strong thunderstorms moved across southern Mississippi flooding numerous roads and homes. A few roads were closed and a few bridges were washed out. Several businesses were flooded as well. In Hattiesburg, nearly ten inches of rain fell flooding places that have never been flooded before. Homes had to be evacuated in Hattiesburg. Forrest and Lamar Counties received most of the flood related damage. One person died when their vehicle was swept off of a bridge into a flood swollen creek. The driver of the vehicle could not swim to safety and rescue attempts failed.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Clarke

When: January 29, 11:00 PM CST to January 30, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Clarke County, Countywide
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.041, -88.689 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Jones

When: January 29, 11:00 PM CST to January 30, 12:30 AM CST
Where: Jones County, Countywide
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.623, -89.169 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Forrest

When: January 29, 11:30 PM CST to January 30, 3:30 AM CST
Where: Forrest County, Countywide
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.189, -89.258 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Lamar

When: January 29, 11:30 PM CST to January 30, 3:30 AM CST
Where: Lamar County, Countywide
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.206, -89.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Marion

When: January 29, 11:30 PM CST to January 30, 3:30 AM CST
Where: Marion County, Countywide
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.231, -89.822 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Flash Flood, Forrest	1999-01-30	37	Female	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Mississippi in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Mississippi, January 1999

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5682043, 5682044, 5682045, 5682046, 5682047.