Skies darkened, storm clouds ominously gathered, then Hurricane Francine's rain and wind began to fall over Southwest Mississippi on Wednesday as the area stood directly in the path of the storm, which was expected to pass through at tropical storm strength Wednesday night and early Thursday.
The storm’s strength had increased to a Category 2 measurement Wednesday afternoon, with 100 mph winds as it came ashore in coastal Louisiana on Wednesday afternoon. It was downgraded to a Category 1 at 6 p.m. with 90 mph winds after it had moved ashore.
Francine's center is expected to reach Southwest Mississippi on Wednesday evening before dissipating into a depression as it moves through Mississippi on Thursday.
Forecasters lowered the anticipated threat level of the storm for many areas in Southwest Mississippi on Wednesday afternoon. They had previously predicted winds anywhere from 58-73 mph winds for nearly all of Southwest Mississippi, but that was dropped back to 39-53 mph, with the exception of southern Amite, Pike and Walthall counties.
Forecasters warned residents to expect a litany of damage and hazards, including:
• “Considerable roof damage,” along with window, door and garage door failures leading to damage to structures.
• Severely damaged or destroyed mobile homes.
• Damage made worse by airborne projectiles.
• Impassable roads.
• Downed trees and fences.
• Large areas with power and communications outages.
“Locations may be uninhabitable for weeks,” forecasters warned, referring to south Louisiana.
The probability of prolonged power outages remained high, and local utilities were bracing for impact.
Magnolia Electric Power brought in 84 contract linemen to restore outages, as well as 72 right-of-way workers to clear the way for them.
“Once the damage is assessed from the storm, additional crews will be brought in. Crews from Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia are on standby at this time,” the electric cooperative said in a Facebook post Wednesday.
“Our MEP linemen will be working outages (Wednesday) until the winds become too dangerous. At that time, the crews will be called in and will return to work at 6 a.m.”
Entergy officials had thousands of contract workers on hand across its grid in Mississippi and Louisiana and expressed confidence in its level of preparedness.
“We have a proven plan of continuous preparation, planning and training. As severe weather threatens, we monitor, mobilize and act. We stand storm ready,” the utility said.
However, Entergy officials warned that outages could last for days, depending on the severity of the damage.
“Customers in the direct path of a Category 1 hurricane can experience outages for up to seven days, up to 10 days for a Category 2 and up to two weeks for a Category 3,” Entergy officials said.
Entergy had about 5,300 contract crews on hand.
“As resources continue to be requested, we expect to acquire up to approximately 6,400 additional resources based on Francine’s current forecast,” the utility said.
Including its own employees as well as contractors, Entergy had 1,800 people working in Mississippi, 5,700 in Louisiana and 360 in New Orleans to respond to outages.
In a meeting with local officials on Wednesday morning, Pike County Civil Defense Director Tina Reed said ice or water will not be handed out unless there is major damage.
Sheriff Wally Jones said deputies would patrol leading up to the storm, dividing the county into sectors, while “hunkering down” when the storm arrives.
McComb Fire Chief Gary McKenzie reiterated from Tuesday’s conference meeting that fire and ambulance services would be suspended when and if winds exceed 45 mph.
Pike County District 3 Supervisor Robert Accardo told other officials to encourage the public to not push any storm debris on private property out to the edge of county roads until — and unless — county gets a disaster declaration.
“If they push debris out to the edge of the road before a declaration, they could be responsible for moving that, especially if it is considered a traffic hazard,” he said.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ Law Enforcement Special Response Team was being stationed in Southwest Mississippi in ahead of the storm to assist with the disaster response.
