Franciscan Sisters in Greenwood share the rain event

After five inches of rain fell in five hours overnight the Sisters looked out their windows to these scenes. The results were a playground transformed into a steadily rising lake; Lake St. Francis!

This was not the first time we had seen this, but this was probably the highest we had seen it.

As we watch the sight unfold we were stuck by what we saw.

As the sun came out we noticed amazing reflections in the water.

The next day we decided to take a little road trip around the Greenwood area to look and see.

We had heard from some of our students and faculty that when they stepped off their steps at home, they stepped into water which came up to their knees. Some had crawfish swimming in their yards and others saw evidence of snakes in the water. The snakes did not surprise us as high water brings them out. This will be a spring where we will need to be watchful of snakes around our convent and school; as well as mosquitoes everywhere. We wonder where the animals went in this time of flooding as the woods appeared to be flooded from the overflow of creeks and rivers. With that thought it was just this morning that first Sister Kathleen and later Sister Elena saw two rabbits near our house. They went to the high ground!

These 2 pictures show a swollen creek located behind us in the Historical Browning District.

After driving through a few other neighborhoods we went to check out the Yazoo River which “snakes” through the city of Greenwood.

As we saw the tremendous amounts of water in various areas we commented on the value of good levees. We also recalled how in the bible is says that, “It rained for 40 days and 40 nights.” And this was only 5 hours.