Strap on your rain boots and grab your umbrellas, it’s about to get wet in Lincoln County.

Flash flooding is likely this week, with up to 4-8 inches of rainfall possible, according to the National Weather Service in Jackson. The rain is expected to get heavy Thursday through Saturday As much as 3 inches of rain fell in the area in the past week.

The weather service is warning people about the dangers of flooded streets. Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other storm-related hazard. Most of those occur when a vehicle is driven into flood waters.

It only takes 6 inches of fast-moving water to knock over an adult, and only 12 inches to carry away a small car. It’s never safe to drive or walk into flood waters, the weather service says.

Already, cities on the Coast have approved emergency declarations in advance of the rain. Those cities are expecting as much as 15 inches of rain over the new few days. Though we likely won’t see rainfall amounts that high, we may see enough to cause flash flooding.

The weather service is advising motorists to “turn around, don’t drown” if roadways are flooded. It’s good advice that could save a life.

Congrats to Hyde-Smith on selection to leadership class

Brookhaven’s Cindy Hyde-Smith was recently named to The Governing Institute’s Women in Leadership Class of 2017. The commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce is part of the class that “brings together outstanding elected women leaders from across the nation to acknowledge their contributions, provide leadership development and to mentor the next generation of women leaders to run for office.”

Prior to serving as the agricultural commissioner, Hyde-Smith represented District 39 in the Senate. She hopes to encourage women to run for office much the same way she was encouraged to run for that Senate seat, which led her to the state position.

“Sometimes women are a little intimidated because it’s a large field of men,” she said of elected office. “To me, the best candidates are the ones who never dreamed of serving in public office. We need good people, God-fearing people in office. We need people with faith. That’s the only thing that got me here and the only thing that has kept me here.”

We congratulate Hyde-Smith on making the list and thank her for her service to the state.