NATCHEZ — The Miss-Lou should prepare for the threat of severe weather this evening, as heavy thunderstorms are predicted to drench much of western Mississippi and eastern Louisiana.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service said there is a “significant risk” of bad weather this evening, with the possibility of strong tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, heavy rainfall and hail.

“The Spring storm season is upon us, and there appears to be a significant outbreak possible (tonight),” MEMA Executive Director Robert Latham said. “What concerns me even more is this will be an evening and overnight event, so our citizens need to know how they will receive warnings and what their emergency plan is now.”

The NWS says that storms may linger in areas for longer than normal, resulting in multiple episodes of severe storms and also causing heavy rainfall and flooding.

Natchez-area residents could expect quarter to golfball sized hail and wind gusts reaching 75 mph.