Ronald Morgan points to where he spent most of his time as a child on Highway 587 in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
COLUMBIA — About 350 structures were affected by the recent flooding in Columbia, Miss. as the Pearl River crested at 25.6 on Sunday, Feb. 23. Currently the river is at 15.7 feet, which is below the flood stage. During the flood, about four water rescues were executed and one person was displaced. Even though Marion County Emergency Management had predicted the river would drop below flood stage, the town remained under a flood warning through March 4 due to heavy rain. Columbia was spared catastrophic flooding but photographs by photojournalist Eric J. Shelton reveal the toll the river took on residents and infrastructure.
Flood water surrounds a home on Old Foxworth Road in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Sandbags protect a home from flooding on Dean Griner Road in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
The Pearl River in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Ronald Morgan points to where he spent most of his time as a child on Highway 587 in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Flood water damaged the infrastructure of Highway 587 in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Aaron Greer, Marion County Emergency Management Director, calibrates his drone to get aerial photos of the flooding in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
A fire hydrant nearly submerged in flood water on Old Foxworth Road in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Drew Haddox worries about his daughter as he looks down Old Foxworth Road in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Haddox’s daughter was unable to go to school because the house where her mother lives was surrounded by water due to the flood water from the Pearl River. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Flood water on Old Foxworth Road in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Flood water surrounds the driveway and front yard of a residence on Old Foxworth Road in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Damaged infrastructure due to the Pearl River flooding on Old Foxworth Road in Columbia, Tuesday February 25, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Eric J. Shelton was a 2018 corps member in Report for America, and joined the team as our first photojournalist. A native of Columbia, Miss., Eric earned his bachelor’s in photojournalism from the University of Southern Mississippi. He was a multimedia journalist for Abilene Reporter-News, chief photographer for the Hattiesburg American and photo editor for the Killeen Daily Herald before joining our team June 2018. He rejoined Mississippi Today as our health photojournalist in January 2022.
