Governor Reeves declares Severe Weather Preparedness Week in MS
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Governor Tate Reeves declares this week, February 9 through February 15, Spring Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Mississippi.
According to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, 85 tornadoes touched down across the state last year.
Last April, 13 tornadoes, severe storms, flooding, and straight-line winds affected 6 counties and caused two deaths.
In February 2019, Lowndes County experienced a massive tornado and flooding.
Many may feel overwhelmed when it comes to thinking about severe weather.
It’s encouraged to have a plan before disaster strikes and have multiple ways to receive alerts to get to a safe place in time.
MEMA and Lowndes County EMA Director Cindy Lawrence encourages everyone to use this week to prepare for severe weather before severe weather strikes.
“I know that those persons who have been in a tornado before, they are stressing and they are panicking right now today. I’m telling them, if they are prepared, know that we can’t stop the storm from coming, all we can do is prepare the residents on what to do in the event a tornado does come to Lowndes County. The next thing is power outages. If you use any type of medical equipment, today is the day to learn how to transfer from electrical to portable. Talk to your vendor or caregiver to train you how to transfer to portable. It is very very important, especially if you are on oxygen or any type of medical equipment. You need to do that today,” said Lawrence.
“We want people to go ahead and start thinking about, ‘Do I have a disaster supply kit ready?, do I have what I need in case something happens? do I know where my safe place is? how am I going to get my weather alerts? so the most important thing is to have a plan. If you have a plan, you are prepared, there is no reason to be scared,” said Eric Bullard of MEMA External Affairs.
MEMA said they encourage all Mississippians to have a disaster supply kit on hand with enough food and water to last 72 hours, a first-aid kit, and important documents.
You can also go to your local MEMA website at msmema.org/shelters to view shelters in your area.