Hurricane Season Heats Up

Hurricane Gustav Approaches the Gulf Coast, 2008

Mississippi has made it through the first two months of hurricane season unscathed. But as MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports getting through the next two months will be the real test.

Rupert Lacey, the director of the Harrison County Emergency Management Agency is sending out a thunderstorm warning message over the radio at the emergency operations center in Gulfport. The thunderstorm which is expected to produce some hail and lightening is typical August weather, but Lacey says he is very aware that the Gulf Coast has just entered peak hurricane season.

“The real heat of the season normally starts about the 10th or so of August, and runs until September, History has shown us that we have had our share of storms.”

So far the 2009 hurricane season has been uneventful for the Gulf Coast, and last week forecasters revised their hurricane predictions, which now call for the Gulf Coast to see a below average number of storms. But Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, says while he respects the predictions he doesn’t place much stock in them,

“It really doesn’t matter if we only have one storm a season, if it hits the Mississippi Gulf Coast than we have still had a pretty bad year. So people should prepare just the same way as if they were predicting a very heavy season, or if we had already had a number of named storms.”

Womack suggests that all individuals who may be affected by a future hurricane take time to review their evacuation plans, and re check their hurricane preparedness disaster kits. Hurricane season continues until November.

For MPB News, I’m Phoebe Judge in Gulfport.