Note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Officials throughout the Pine Belt are preparing residents for Tropical Storm Gordon, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before hitting the Gulf Coast Tuesday night.
James Smith, director of the Lamar County Emergency Management Agency, told the Lamar County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning that the storm could bring 2.5-3 inches of rain to the county between late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. Another 2.5 inches is expected throughout the day Wednesday.
"So we could see five and a half, six inches of rain through the duration of the next two days," Smith said.
The county's emergency shelter will open at 5 p.m. Tuesday at 105 Central Industrial Row in Purvis, and will stay open until at least 8 a.m. Wednesday depending on turnout. Sandbags will be available at the shelter and at the Lamar County Sheriff's Office substation on Weathersby Road in Hattiesburg.
"Everything's pretty much in order," Smith said. "We've done all the preparation - we pretty much keep everything ready anyway, but everything is pretty much lined up and ready to go.
"I don't see any shortfalls on anything that we need."
Supervisors signed a declaration of emergency during the meeting, which will allow county officials to perform any special duties in the event of disaster.
As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, Gordon's maximum sustained winds were measured at 65 miles per hour, slightly below the 74 mile-per-hour threshold for a hurricane. The storm was moving west-northwest at 17 miles per hour, bringing a possible storm surge of 3 to 5 feet for coastal Mississippi and eastern Louisiana to Dauphin Island, Alabama.
Gov. Phil Bryant has declared a state of emergency to free up resources in preparation for the storm.
7:30 p.m. update
According to the National Weather Service in Jackson, no major changes have been made to the forecast track of Tropical Storm Gordon. At about 7:30 p.m., the storm was approximately 75 miles southeast of Biloxi and is still expected to make landfall late Tuesday night.
Closings:
- Lamar Christian School will cancel classes Wednesday and resume Thursday.
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- Petal schools will cancel classes Wednesday and resume Thursday.
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- Hattiesburg Public School District will cancel classes Wednesday and resume Thursday.
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- Lamar County School District will cancel classes Wednesday and resume Thursday.
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- Lamar County offices will be closed Wednesday and will reopen Thursday at their regulary-scheduled times. Sanitation routes will run two days behind and will pick up on Saturday. Officials are advising residents to bring in their trash cans from the street to avoid wind hazards.
