Sporadic heavy rain and the threat of severe weather ushered in the post-Christmas work week this morning as unstable weather preceded a cold front moving through the Golden Triangle.

The National Weather Service in Jackson issued a tornado watch at 7:50 a.m. for much of the eastern portion of the state from Tupelo to Hattiesburg, with a lengthy squall line moving east into Oktibbeha County around 9 a.m. A tornado watch for the region expired at 9:13 a.m. and the NWS said the front had passed into Alabama with no further severe weather activity expected.

While there were no local reports of wind damage as of 9 a.m., there were some localized flooding, mostly confined to areas near creeks and streams.

While the NWS data had incomplete reports from the Tombigbee River’s reporting site at the John C. Stennis Lock & Dam — the latest data came from Dec. 24 and showed the river four feet below flood stage at 161 feet — it was clear the banks of the Tombigbee had been breached in other areas, most notably at the Columbus Riverwalk, just west of downtown Columbus. By daylight today, the flooding was obvious, with river waters turning the Riverwalk into something resembling a lake.

The NWS showed minor flooding at the Luxapalila River in east Columbus, Tibbee Creek in Oktibbeha County and Buttahatchee River near Aberdeen.

Lowndes County Emergency Management Director Cindy Lawrence told The Dispatch about 8:30 a.m. today that she had received no reports of residents being forced from their homes due to the flooding.

“Nothing so far,” she said. “But typically, if there is flooding that affects residents, it usually comes a day, maybe two, after he rain. We’ve heard no reports of wind damage, but there’s still a possibility of that until 10 (a.m.) or so.”

While the NWS had not received updated data from the Stennis observation site, it did predict the Tombigbee would exceed its flood stage during its projection for the next two days. The NWS projects show the Tombigbee will crest at 162.1 feet around 11 a.m. Tuesday, which it projects will result in minor flooding.

The weather conditions were more severe in south Mississippi. A likely tornado hit the town of Seminary, located 20 miles northwest of Hattiesburg, around 6 a.m. today. There were no reports of injuries or the extent of the damage as of 9 a.m.

Today’s rains were expected to end before noon as the cold front moves through the area with the possibility of rain returning Wednesday.

Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].