Mississippi sheriff warns of levee break, tells residents to 'evacuate immediately'

April 10 (UPI) -- A Mississippi county on Wednesday warned of a levee break on a lake, warning subdivision residents to evacuate immediately.

The evacuation comes as several more inches of rain are expected to fall across the region.

An announcement from the Yazoo County Sheriff's Office said, "If you or someone that you know lives in the Eastbrook subdivision on Highway 16 in Yazoo County you need to evacuate IMMEDIATELY!!! The levee is about to break on the lake and the houses will flood. Please get out ASAP!!!"

On Facebook, the sheriff's office added, "This will not affect any other besides the Eastbrook Subdivision. Emergency Management Officials are on scene, deputies are on scene evacuating the ones that needed to evacuate. This has nothing to do with the levee on Highway 3 in Yazoo City. Officials are on scene monitoring the conditions in this area."

According to the National Weather Service tornadoes, hail and strong winds swept across Gulf Coast states Tuesday as a weather system continued to move eastward on Wednesday.

Yazoo County is about 20 miles northwest of Jackson.

The executive director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said, "On Wednesday, April 10, the entire state will be at risk for severe weather. Tornadoes are likely, especially in South Mississippi. We at MEMA never want to cause panic or anxiety, but we encourage you to remain informed, prepared and vigilant over the next few days as we could experience significant weather."

The National Weather Service also warned of some flooding as the Pearl River near Jackson was expected to pass flood stage.