Deion Sanders: Water Shortage forces Tigers into 'Crisis-Mode'

Jackson State Tigers head coach Deion Sanders has said that his team is affected by the current flooding in Jackson. The crisis came only days before the team’s season opener.

"We (were) hit with a little crisis in the city of Jackson. We do not have water. No water means we do not have air conditioning. (We) cannot use the toilets. We do not have ice which pretty much places a burden on the program." Sanders said in a social media post.

JSU has decided to relocate its football players and their practices as the situation worsens. Sanders said on Instagram that the Tigers were looking for temporary accommodation before the kickoff against Florida A&M on Sunday.

"I gotta get these kids off campus, the ones that live on campus, and the ones that live in the city of Jackson into a hotel to accommodate them so they can shower properly and just take care of their needs," Sanders said.

"Make sure all our kids are fed. Make sure our kids have all the necessities of life for the next several days until this crisis resides."

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced a state of emergency in Jackson after the flood created several problems at a water treatment facility, generating low water pressure throughout the city. As a result, many areas in Jackson no longer have access to potable clean water.

Water Crisis in Jackson, Mississippi

Many in Jackson City are struggling to get a reliable water supply due to the problem in the city’s water system. The capital of Mississippi currently does not have enough supply of potable water to fulfill the residents’ needs. The main water treatment of the city began failing on Monday after heavy rains and flooding triggered rising water levels in the Pearl Rivers to a dangerous level.

On Monday evening, the city declared a water system emergency. The mayor of the Jackson city, Chokwe Antar Lumumba said that the city’s water shortage was likely to last for the next couple of days.

That said, the city of Jackson had water issues even before the intense rains and Pearl River's flood. Last month, a test suggested that a problem in city-supplied water could cause disinfection and illnesses for the people. The result of the study put the city under a boil-water notice.

Jackson’s water system has been in crisis for years. In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency published a comprehensive report describing significant flaws in the city’s water system. The report said the authority had demonstrated failure to replace lead pipes, defective monitoring technology, and insufficient staffing.

Today, Jackson city has to deal with the consequences. More than 150,000 people in that area have lost access to drinkable water. City officials are currently distributing bottled water to resolve the issue and creating strategies to restore the facility.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and National Guard also helped set up distribution sites for potable and non-potable water, where the residents can be seen lining up on streets and highways to get to the sites due to the high demands.