Mother of Three Rachael Floyd Swept to Death in Petal Flash Flood as Oak Grove Family Endures Husband Ben Floyd’s Ongoing Brain Cancer Battle

A Mississippi family already facing a devastating medical crisis is now mourning another unimaginable tragedy after 36-year-old Rachael Floyd of Oak Grove died after being swept away in dangerous floodwaters in Petal.

According to officials and investigators, Floyd was killed Monday afternoon when the SUV she was driving became trapped in rapidly rising flash flood waters near Eastbrook Commons in Petal, close to Hattiesburg. Authorities said the vehicle was swept across a parking lot and pulled into a culvert as severe weather moved through South Mississippi.

Witnesses nearby reportedly rushed to help as fast-moving water carried the SUV away. Several bystanders attempted to rescue Floyd from the vehicle, but the current became too powerful before she could escape. The SUV eventually overturned and became submerged.

Emergency crews with the Petal Police Department and Petal Fire Department responded to the scene and later recovered Floyd’s body on the opposite side of a nearby culvert.

The heartbreaking death has shaken the Pine Belt community, where many knew the Floyd family through counseling work, church involvement, friendships, and local community ties.

Officials told Hattiesburg Patriot News Media that shortly before the tragedy, Rachael had dropped off the couple’s three young sons at her mother’s home in Petal. She reportedly left her own vehicle there so the children would still have access to car seats and then drove away in her mother’s SUV — the same vehicle later caught in the deadly floodwaters.

Rachael Floyd leaves behind her husband, Ben Floyd, and their three young children: Joshua, 4, Gilead, 2, and Mayhew, 1.

The tragedy comes as the family was already navigating an overwhelming battle after Ben Floyd was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer known as a high-grade astrocytoma with piloid features located in his cerebellum.

Ben Floyd, a self-employed therapist based in Hattiesburg, is widely known throughout the Pine Belt for helping individuals and families through emotional struggles and personal hardships. Friends and clients describe him as compassionate, empathetic, and someone who dedicated his life to supporting others during difficult times.

Prior to Rachael’s death, community members had already organized fundraising efforts to help the Floyd family manage mounting medical expenses and financial challenges connected to Ben’s treatment and inability to consistently work.

Now, following the sudden loss of Rachael, supporters across Mississippi are once again rallying around the grieving family.

The deadly incident happened amid severe storms and flash flooding that created hazardous conditions across portions of South Mississippi. Emergency responders handled multiple weather-related emergencies throughout the region as roads quickly became overwhelmed by rising water.

Friends, family members, and community supporters are remembering Rachael Floyd as a devoted wife, loving mother, and compassionate person whose life deeply impacted those around her.

As tributes continue pouring in online, many are urging drivers to avoid flooded roadways and reminding others how quickly flash flooding can turn deadly.