Severe weather, heavy rainfall possible

Published 12:34 am Sunday, January 4, 2009

NATCHEZ — Following brief severe weather Saturday, the National Weather Service is predicting severe thunderstorms will move through the area tomorrow night.

“There is a chance of strong storms Monday night into Tuesday with some severe rainfall that could cause some flooding in the area,” National Weather Service Meteorologist Latrice Maxie said.

A low-pressure system is expected to move into the area Monday, and there are moist atmospheric conditions that are ripe for producing storms with heavy rainfall, Maxie said.

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The National Weather Service predicts an estimated 2 to 4 inches with isolated incidents of greater amounts of rainfall will fall Monday night, Maxie said.

There will be a slight chance of tornado activity, and if that is the case, anyone in a mobile home should seek other means of shelter, Adams County Emergency Director Stan Owens said.

“Just take precautions and be aware of the weather,” he said.

“Keep your eyes and ears on all types of information channels, especially local television and radio.”

During the recent tornado, the tornado warning sirens were not activated because a tornado warning was never officially released.

But Owens said — just in case — the sirens are ready if Monday’s storms become serious.

“The sirens are up and ready, but let’s just hope that we have a nice, peaceful evening,” he said.

During a brief but intense rainstorm Saturday afternoon, hail fell for several minutes along U.S. 61 in southern Adams County.

Owens said he had not received official confirmation of the hail, but had seen reports of it to the south of the county.

Though hail conditions can be associated with lengthier storms, it is not uncommon for short bursts of hail to fall, Maxie said.

“That is not out of the ordinary,” she said. “Out of the different types of storms, it could just depend on how cool it is aloft. If the storm was moving fast enough, it could have just cooled off enough for the hail conditions.”