Mississippi's state capital city found itself without a reliable water supply Monday after rain and flooding pushed the Pearl River to dangerous levels, leaving residents scrambling to local stores for bottled water only to find empty shelves. This has reportedly been a problem for years.

Via The New York Times:

More than 150,000 people in Mississippi's capital were without access to safe drinking water on Tuesday as officials scrambled to confront what they described as the "massively complicated task" of distributing bottled water and devising a plan to restore service.

The water system in Jackson, the state's largest city, has been in crisis for years, crippled by aging and inadequate infrastructure and the lack of resources to bolster it. Residents have long contended with disruptions in service and frequent boil-water notices, including one that had already been in effect for more than a month because of cloudiness found in water samples.

What a cluster:

"We need to provide water for up to 180,000 people for an unknown period of time," Mississippi Gov. Tate said.

"Please stay safe," he continued. "Do not drink the water. In too many cases, it is raw water from the reservoir being pushed through the pipes. Be smart, protect yourself, protect your family, preserve water, look out for your fellow man and look out for your neighbors."

“This is a very different situation from a boil water notice,” Reeves added. “Until it is fixed, we do not have reliable running water at scale. The city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to flush toilets, and to meet other critical needs. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency will take the state’s lead on distributing drinking water and non-drinking water to residents of the City of Jackson.”

Reeves declared a state of emergency over the Jackson water crisis last night.