Five inches of snow falls in Miss-Lou

Published 10:53 am Friday, February 12, 2010

NATCHEZ — A few rural roads and bridges are icing and the county has seen sporadic power outages, but so far the Miss-Lou is simply enjoying the snow.

Emergency Management Director Stan Owens said approximately 5 inches of snow fell on the Miss-Lou Thursday night and Friday morning. Flakes are still falling.

But the biggest worry may be still to come, Owens said.

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“This is going to melt, but the moisture is going to hang around,” he said. “The low for tonight is going to be 28, so this is going to freeze up again and become sheet ice.”

Owens urged drivers to stay off the roads beginning this evening, if at all possible.

The area may still see falling limbs and additional power outages as well, he said.

Entergy customer service specialist Stephen Caruthers said approximately 300 customers in the Natchez area were without power this morning. That number had dropped to 200 by 11 a.m., and should continue to fall, he said.

Most of the outages were in the neighborhoods of The Hills on U.S. 61 South, Duncan Park and Morgantown.

Another 300 Entergy customers in Franklin and Wilkinson counties are also without power.

“My feelings are that if it stops (snowing) and we do get some above freezing temperatures, it will improve chances of getting everyone on today,” Caruthers said.

Extra crews are in the area working, he said.

Freezing temperatures tonight could cause dampened trees to freeze and snap, Caruthers said, and drivers on icy roads sometime collide with power poles, causing outages.

But so far, things are under control, he said.

“The tree trimming in the last couple of years has paid great dividends,” Caruthers said.

Warren, Madison and Rankin counties do have more outages than Adams County.

A telephone line fell across both lanes of traffic on U.S. 61 North, and is being removed.