COLDWATER, Miss. — Just weeks after the state spent $22 million to repair the Coldwater Bridge, residents say a section of Highway 51 was almost a river over the weekend.
“It’s scary. It’s really scary,” resident Sharon Poke said.
Poke lives right off Highway 51.
“Last night when I woke up, I thought I might see an alligator or anything come across this road,” she said.
The road just opened up again a couple of weeks ago after the Coldwater River Bridge was rebuilt.
“They are just got it open. We’re so glad that it’s open, and now look what happened to us,” Poke said.
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The Mississippi Department of Transportation closed the bridge two years ago after flooding damaged the structural supports.
The new bridge is four feet higher, and MDOT says it should be more resilient against flood events, but residents like Poke wonder if that is tall enough considering how high the water is this year.
“I really don’t think it’s high enough, because of the water,” she said.
MDOT says it is, and they are confident in the bridge’s design.
As for the section of Highway 51 that is flooded, state crews have been out warning drivers to take it slow.
“They were coaching people through,” Poke said.
The water has gone down since Saturday.
Poke hopes the weather stays dry and the water keeps going down.
“Honey, please take it down God,” she said.
On that note, there is high water all over town that is threatening a number of homes.
Like Poke, people around Coldwater, Mississippi are just hoping for a break.