Expected Hurricane Francine could affect Mississippi. Residents urged to prepare now

A potential hurricane is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Storm Francine formed Monday and current models show the storm making landfall somewhere between the east Texas to the east Louisiana coastline.

However, forecasters are saying Mississippi should be prepared for wind, flooding, potential tornadoes and extended power outages.

"Our main impact for Mississippi looks to be Wednesday into Thursday," said Mike Edmonston, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Jackson . "On Wednesday going into Thursday, there's a tornado threat to the South. The eastern portions of Mississippi will likely be under a tornado threat on Thursday."

The storm is currently in the Bay of Campeche in Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center , it's expected to become a hurricane late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. Landfall is expected late Wednesday.

Be prepared for hurricane to bring heavy rain, flooding to Mississippi

Edmonston said there is a threat of damaging wind in Mississippi, but the level of that threat hasn't been determined. He said the biggest threat is heavy rainfall and flash flooding south of a line between Vicksburg and Laurel.

In that area, Edmonston said 4-6 inches of rainfall are possible and it may happen in a short period of time. North of that, portions of Mississippi could may experience 2-4 inches of rainfall. Again, it may happen in a short period of time.

"Flash flooding: Our biggest concern right now is flooding," said Malary White, chief communications officer for MEMA. "So, what MEMA is encouraging is for people to take photos of your possessions."

White said people should take photos of the inside and outside of their homes as well as any big-ticket valuables that could be affected by the storm. White said people should also safely store important documents such as marriage licenses, birth certificates, deeds and documents pertaining to mortgages. White said these may be needed when filing for insurance claims or government assistance.

MEMA says be prepared for power outages, other impacts due to hurricane

Power outages are also expected.

"We need people to be prepared for extended power outages," White said. "Do you have enough medications, food and water for power outages?"

Staying informed is also important.

"Keep up with what this storm is doing from a trusted source," White said. She suggested downloading an emergency weather app on phones such as those offered by MEMA, the Red Cross or the National Weather Service and be prepared to go to a safe place if needed.

"Make sure you go through your safe place plan with your family and have alerts set on loud on your phone," White said.

Also, let someone outside your immediate family know where you are going in case of evacuation.

"That's critical in case they don't hear from you," White said.

For a complete list of disaster preparations, visit www.msema.org .

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Expected Hurricane Francine could affect Mississippi. Residents urged to prepare now