Hurricane Sally to bring wind, rain to East Mississippi

Sep. 14--East Mississippi residents will likely see several inches of rain and high winds after Hurricane Sally makes landfall along the Gulf Coast, according to the National Weather Service.

Gusts of 30-40 mph are possible, with 4 to 8 inches of rain and a chance of flash flooding, said David Cox, a meteorologist with the NWS in Jackson. Scattered showers are likely through the week, with clearer weather expected by the weekend, Cox said.

The NWS issued a flash flood watch for East Central Mississippi from Tuesday morning through Thursday morning due to heavy rainfall associated with the hurricane.

Counties affected include Lauderdale County and Newton County. A flash flood watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding.

Lauderdale County Emergency Management Director Odie Barrett said some roads in the county may see high water, and urged residents to stay home and avoid driving through those areas if possible.

"Stay inside and stay dry," he said. "Don't cross any roads with water across them."

In the southern part of the state, gusty winds may knock down trees and power lines, according to the NWS. Isolated tornadoes are possible in the Pine Belt region.

Gov. Tate Reeves said the Gulf Coast region could see more than 20 inches of rain, while inland counties such as Stone, Forrest and Wayne could see up to 10 inches, he said.

"It's anticipated that we will bear the brunt of this storm," Reeves said during a Monday news briefing.

Reeves also announced Monday that President Trump approved a request for a federal emergency declaration ahead of the storm.

Under the declaration, FEMA is authorized to provide direct assistance to the following counties: Adams, Amite, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Stone, Walthall, Wayne and Wilkinson.

___

(c)2020 The Meridian Star (Meridian, Miss.)

Visit The Meridian Star (Meridian, Miss.) at meridianstar.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.