Lauderdale County residents are encouraged to keep an eye on the sky heading into the evening with the threat of some severe weather moving through the area.
Rain and strong winds are most likely to hit the East Mississippi region, although tornadoes cannot be completely ruled out.
Lauderdale County Emergency Management Director Odie Barrett said first responders are ready for whatever comes their way.
“High winds, a lot of rain, wet ground, we could see trees fall over, tops of trees fall out, take out a couple power lines and then knock power out from different areas across the county,” he said. “That’s out biggest threat that we see tonight.”
As of 2 p.m., Barrett said the northern part of the county had already seen some hail ranging from pea size to half an inch. Another line of storms is expected to move through the area around 4:30 p.m., he said.
A tornado watch for Lauderdale County is in effect through 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Jackson. Much of Central Mississippi is included in the watch.
Barrett said a tornado watch can be thought of as having all the ingredients laid out and ready to start cooking. Once those ingredients are combined it becomes a tornado warning, he said.
While chances for severe weather are mostly limited to Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, wet weather is expected to remain through much of the week.
Any residents who do have storm damage to their homes are encouraged to report it to LEMA by calling 911. Barrett said damage to outbuildings, vehicles and other structures, while frustrating, isn’t factored into damage assessments by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“The way the federal government looks at damage assessment, it has got to be inside of your home, the areas that you live in,” he said.
Barrett said he also strongly encourages residents to have their property insured. Having insurance can help recoup losses from storm damage even when federal aid is unavailable.
For more information about severe weather preparedness, to sign up for emergency alerts or find other resources, visit lemaonline.com.