The Miss-Lou could see winds of up to 58 miles per hour and rain of 4 to 6 inches Monday as the result of Hurricane Katrina, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

Katrina-related rains were expected to start Sunday night and continue until Monday evening. The highest storm-related winds were expected to hit the Miss-Lou at about 1 p.m. Monday, MEMA and Weather Service officials said in a statewide conference call at 4 p.m. Sunday.

&uot;We tend to get complacent about weather until something like this happens,&uot; said Tracy Floyd of the Adams County Civil Defense Office.

More than 50 Natchez and Adams County officials, civil defense workers, emergency responders, hospital representatives, media, volunteers and others filled the Adams County Civil Defense Office’s conference room for the conference call. The next MEMA conference call will be at 10 a.m. Monday, with many of the same officials gathering to hear the latest on the storm’s effects.

Meanwhile, people in low-lying areas and mobile homes on both sides of the river were being asked to evacuate Sunday to sturdy structures.

Natchez officials met at 3 p.m. Sunday at City Hall to discuss a curfew but decided not to implement one inside the city limits at this time. Aldermen and department heads will meet again at 7:30 a.m. Monday at City Hall to determine what else the city may need to do to prepare for the storm.

As of Sunday afternoon, a curfew was in effect for Adams County outside the Natchez city limits from midnight to 4 a.m. Monday &uot;to basically make sure people aren’t out looting the mobile homes that are being evacuated,&uot; Floyd said. &uot;The curfew isn’t for people who have to get to work or people who are evacuating.&uot;

The Town of Vidalia will also start a curfew at midnight but, as of press time, had not set a time the curfew would be lifted. Like Adams County, the curfew is not for those going to work or evacuating, Police Chief Billy Hammers said, &uot;just for people who are on the street when they have no business being there.&uot;

Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland encouraged all town residents to remain inside today if at all possible.

Officials in Concordia Parish were preparing for possible flooding associated with the hurricane. Civil Defense Director Morris White said he thought serious flooding was unlikely given the dry conditions in much of the parish.

&uot;With three inches of rain real fast you’ll get some flooding,&uot; White said. &uot;Everything we have goes into Cocodrie Bayou, but the bayou is real low right now. It’ll take a full three inches before we get some flooding. This is no worse than we’ve had before. We’ve had that much before without a hurricane.&uot;

The City of Natchez will open the Natchez Convention Center, with a capacity of about 500 people, starting 7 a.m. Monday to Adams County residents only.

Only shelter will be provided; residents heading for the convention center are being asked to bring their own food, bedding and other supplies. It was unclear as of late Sunday afternoon whether Red Cross staff would be stationed at the shelter, and such arrangements had not been made as of that time.

The city is asking anyone, skilled or nonskilled, who will volunteer at the convention center shelter to contact the Adams County Civil Defense Office at 442-7021.

Everyone in the Miss-Lou should prepare for the storm by getting gas for their vehicles; getting together a can opener and canned goods and water for three to five days; having a 30-day supply of any needed medications at the ready; have flashlights and enough batteries for radios, flashlights and the like; and getting changes of clothes together, among other common-sense precautions, said the Red Cross and Floyd.

&uot;Also, make sure you have an out-of-state (relative or friend’s) number to call in case they get separated from relatives &045; a number to touch base,&uot; Floyd said.

The city’s public works crews are on standby to remove debris that threatens lives or blocks roadways, with Natchez Waterworks putting three of its crews at the Public Works Division’s disposal for storm cleanup. Adams County road crews are also on standby to help with cleanup outside the city limits.

Vidalia utility crews are on standby to deal with downed power lines and other utility troubles. Copeland said the town should provide water and sewage service with generators even if power is lost.