GREENVILLE, Miss. With Francine headed for Mississippi and now expected to be centered over the Delta by midday Thursday, Gov. Tate Reeves has declared a state of emergency and Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons said Tuesday that sandbags will be available in case of flooding.
Late Tuesday the prediction from the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center had the storm generally moving up into Mississippi along I-55.
The storm will lose much of its punch by the time it reaches centrak Mississippi, and by the time it reaches the Delta, you can expect sustained winds to be low enough for it to be categorized as a tropical depression rather than a hurricane. But, gusts of 35 to 45 mph, can bring down trees, especially with many trees being affected by last year’s drought.
“Heavy rainfall combined with gusty winds, that is going to be a combination that might be a bit difficult,” said Logan Poole, forecaster with the National Weather Service.
The tornado threat for the Delta is expected to be minimal, with tornadoes generally forming on the east side of tropical systems. But, you should still be prepared for quick, spin-up tornadoes, which may not always have a warning.
Normally we don’t anticipate seeing violent or strong or long-track tornadoes with these events. But, they could spin up very rapidly,” said Poole.
The Delta is expected to get two to four inches of rain between Wednesday and Thursday, which could cause some flash flooding. If you need sandbags, you can go to MEMA’s website to get a list of sites to pick them up.
Greenville will have sandbags available, with a limit of 25 per household, at Greenville Public Works on Mill Rd.
As far as the state of emergency declared by Reeves, he said it is a proactive measure.
“This will allow us to mobilize state assets and respond as necessary,” he said.
