With the Miss-Lou likely in the path of Hurricane Katrina, our community could receive damaging winds and rain today, with the storm expected to hit sometime mid-morning.

Our prayer is that everyone will stay safe today. For people in low-lying areas or in mobile homes or trailers, both city and county officials are advising you to take shelter somewhere safer.

The Natchez Convention Center will open at 7 a.m. today for Adams County residents needing shelter from the storm.

That shelter is also looking for volunteers &045; both skilled and unskilled. Anyone interested in helping can call 601-442-7021.

Meanwhile, the Adams County Red Cross shelter at the Steckler Multi-Purpose Center was also filling up Sunday afternoon, as evacuees from south Louisiana poured into the community.

The Red Cross shelter has asked for volunteers as well, especially people with nursing experience.

We hope everyone will take Katrina seriously. By Sunday afternoon, the storm was still at Category 5 strength, bearing down on New Orleans and threatening to leave catastrophic damage on that metropolitan area.

We advise everyone in our community to use common sense in dealing with this storm. We hope Katrina will leave us unscathed, but there is a possibility she could spread damage across the Miss-Lou.

Our prayers are with everyone in the path of the storm.