Today Governor Tate Reeves announced that February 17-21 will be “Spring Severe Weather Preparedness Week” for Mississippi.
Just in 2019, there were 78 tornadoes in between the months of February and May with April tying a state record of 67. Flooding is also another hazard of severe weather in the spring, as the Jackson metro area is experiencing that now with the 3rd worst flood in history.
The partnership for this week is with The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. They are focusing on specific types of severe weather on different days of the week.
Here is the plan for the week:
- Monday, Feb. 17th: Severe Thunderstorms – Lightning, large hail and damaging winds from severe storms can be just as dangerous as tornadoes.
- Tuesday, Feb. 18th: Flooding and Flash Flooding – Behind heat, flooding is the number one cause of weather-related deaths. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.
- Wednesday, Feb. 20th: Tornado Safety – NWS will issue a statewide tornado drill at 9:15 a.m. Schools, government agencies, and businesses are encouraged to participate. NOTE – If rainfall or adverse weather is expected during the morning, the tornado drill will be postponed until the next day.
- Thursday, Feb. 20th: Lightning – All thunderstorms have lightning and this hazard can be deadly.
- Friday, Feb. 21st: Alerts and Warnings – You can subscribe to your local news stations or download MEMA’s free preparedness mobile app on your phone or tablet by searching “Mississippi EMA” in your app store.
