News and Society

Local governments and emergency officials across the state are preparing for the impact of a Mississippi bound hurricane to hit ground somewhere along the Gulf Coast late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning.

In Cleveland, Bolivar County Emergency Management Agency Director Bill Quinton is urging residents to prepare themselves for heavy rainfall and wind gusts on Wednesday, possibly continuing for several days as the storm moves inland.

"We are continuing to monitor the situation very closely," said Quinton. "This office has been a part of numerous conference calls with officials around the state and are making preparations for the worst case scenario."

Quinton said that the county is expecting to get between three and seven inches of rain from Wednesday to Friday and see an increased possibility of tornadoes caused by the heavy winds.

"We are watching closely to see the pattern of Isaac," continued Quinton. "The amount of estimated rainfall depends on the route at which the storm makes landfall. As of this morning it appeared to be moving more west than we initially thought; however, things can change in an instant with storms like this."

Representatives from the National Weather Service in Jackson are in agreement with Quinton.

"As far as Bolivar County is concerned and other areas around north central Mississippi, we expect rain and strong winds," said Stephen Wilkinson, warning coordination meteorologist. "You could likely see widespread tree damage, flooding and possible power outages in areas across the state."

On the state level, Gov. Phil Bryant has declared a "State of Emergency" ahead of potential impacts from Tropical Storm Isaac.

The State of Emergency is an administrative tool that allows state resources to be utilized by local governments throughout the areas that could be affected by a disaster.

“Residents should not be frightened because we have issued a State of Emergency,” Bryant said. “However, I urge individuals and families to finalize their personal preparedness efforts. Review your family communication plan, make sure your emergency supply kit is fully stocked and know where you will go if you need to evacuate.”

Bryant also authorized the Mississippi National Guard to deploy 10 members of its civil support team to the coastal counties. The team will work with local emergency management agencies to assist with preparedness efforts and will be on hand to transition to full-scale disaster response if necessary.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said Bryant's State of Emergency fails to include the necessary language to allow enforcement of the state's price gouging statute.

"A State of Emergency alone does not establish our ability to enforce the price gouging statute," said Hood. "The governor must invoke the necessary language from the Mississippi emergency management laws. Although this office has already received several calls of an upswing in prices, especially at gas stations in the emergency area, we will not be investigating the reported calls until the Governor chooses to invoke the necessary language in his declaration, should he choose to do so."

Atmos Energy, the largest natural gas distributor in Mississippi, is also keeping a watchful eye on the storm as it progresses.

"The safety of our customers, employees and communities is our number one priority. We are monitoring the storm and our crews are implementing the first phase of our emergency response plan as we prepare for the hurricane," said David Gates, Atmos Energy’s president of the Mississippi division.

"We urge Mississippi residents to take steps now to ensure their personal and family safety and the protection of their property before the storm hits."

Natural gas distribution pipelines are mostly underground, Gates said, but can be damaged by uprooted trees and shifted foundations.

In addition, fallen limbs and other debris can damage gas meters and associated piping near homes and buildings.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency also deployed members of the State Emergency Response Team to Biloxi.

SERT is made up of personnel from several key state agencies including MEMA, Miss. Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety and the Mississippi National Guard.

The American Red Cross has deployed over 1,000 volunteers to the Gulf Coast and shelters are opening up across the state to help accommodate refugees of the storm.

"While we do not have a shelter opening in Bolivar County at this time, I was informed yesterday that two would be opened in Grenada and Lexington to accommodate the I-55 traffic," said Quinton. "As we move closer to the storm and further assess the needs then additional shelters could be opening up in other locations."

Washington County has also announced that it will be transforming the Washington County Convention Center into a shelter for those displaced by the storm.

As of this morning, the National Hurricane Center has issued both a tropical storm warning and a hurricane warning for every county in Mississippi.

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