Flood Resilience Community Event on March 26

Moss Point residents are invited to attend a free flood resilience community event on Thursday, March 26, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Family Education Center, located at 3524 Prentiss Avenue. The event will introduce neighbors to local flood resilience projects, share information on available resources, and highlight nature based solutions designed to reduce flooding across our community.

Flooding is a familiar reality for many families in Moss Point. Whether it is water collecting in streets after a heavy rain or rising levels that threaten homes and vehicles, our residents know firsthand the disruption that flooding brings into daily life. This community event is part of a growing effort to change that reality by putting practical knowledge and proven solutions directly into the hands of the people who need them most.

What Are Nature Based Solutions?

Nature based solutions represent a newer approach to managing stormwater and reducing flood risk by working with the natural environment rather than relying solely on traditional infrastructure like pipes, drains, and concrete channels. These solutions include rain gardens, green spaces, bioswales, restored streams, and strategically designed stormwater parks that capture and slow water before it overwhelms neighborhoods and roadways.

Moss Point has already seen these solutions in action. The River City Flood Ready Initiative, launched with a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant in 2023, aims to make Moss Point a safer, greener, and more resilient place to live through science, community knowledge, and nature based solutions like rain gardens, green spaces, and restored streams. This initiative is led in partnership with the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and has already produced measurable results. To learn more about the initiative, explore resources, and stay updated on local projects, visit rivercityfloodready.com.

Local Projects Making a Difference

A rain garden and drainage system were recently installed near Kreole Elementary School in Moss Point, and the project has already made a noticeable difference. During a heavy rain near the school, city leaders observed that a street which normally floods had remained free of water. The system is designed to hold water closer to where it falls, allow it to filter into the ground naturally, and take pressure off the broader stormwater system during heavy storms.

A neighborhood scale stormwater park is also in development just north of the Rose Drive neighborhood, an area well known for persistent flood issues. The park is designed to capture and slow stormwater that would otherwise flood nearby streets.

These projects represent exactly the kind of forward thinking work that will be on display at the March 26 flood resilience community event.

What You Can Expect at the Event

This gathering is designed to be welcoming and accessible for everyone. Community partners including the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant, Indiana University, and Mississippi State University Extension will be on hand to share their work and answer questions.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about current and planned flood resilience projects in Moss Point, explore resources that can help individual households build resilience to flooding, discover how nature based approaches are being used to reduce water in streets and neighborhoods, and find out how to actively support future resilience efforts in the community.

Light refreshments will be served, and all ages are welcome. Families with children are encouraged to attend.

Why Your Voice Matters

Flood resilience is not something that happens to a community. It is something a community builds together. As Mayor Billy Knight has stated, the collaborative approach between Pascagoula, Moss Point, Jackson County, and the Grand Bay Reserve reflects a shared commitment to solving flooding problems and identifying the best funding approaches for each stormwater challenge.

Your firsthand experience with flooding in your neighborhood is valuable information. Events like this one give residents the chance to share what they know, ask questions, and help shape the direction of future projects. The people who live with flooding every day are the same people whose insight makes these solutions work.

Event Details

Date: Thursday, March 26

Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Location: Family Education Center, 3524 Prentiss Avenue, Moss Point, MS 39563

Cost: Free

RSVP: Contact Margo Posten at 228 523 4007 (work), 228 697 0205 (cell), or [email protected]

To explore flood resilience resources and learn more about ongoing projects in Moss Point, visit rivercityfloodready.com.

Article produced by Experienced Results