PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – WDAM 7’s First Alert Weather has declared a First Alert Day due to the threat of severe weather in the Pine Belt on Wednesday.
A tornado watch was issued for the Pine Belt around 2:30 p.m. As a result, storm shelters have started opening up in the area. The First Alert Weather team will be live at 3:00 p.m.
View updates below.
11:59 p.m.
Dixie Electric Power Association posted on Facebook that more than 1,500 customers are still without power, but crews are working to restore service.
10:41 p.m.
Lamar Christian School has announced that it will be closed Thursday and Friday due to loss of power and “notable damage” on campus.
10:39 p.m.
NWS Jackson has issued a tornado warning for Marion, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, and Lincoln counties until 11:45 p.m. Residents are urged to take cover at this time.
9:57 p.m.
Lamar County Schools have announced that Purvis and Baxterville schools will operate on a two-hour delay Thursday. Buses will run where it’s considered safe but may be limited by debris and downed power lines.
Attendance circumstances will be considered.
Sumrall, Oak Grove and Lumberton schools remain on normal schedules, according to the school district.
9:49 p.m.
1,098 customers are without power in Jefferson Davis County, according to PowerOutage.us.
- Entergy – 646
- Southern Pine Electric – 452
9:45 p.m.
A boil water notice was issued for the northeast section of the Dixie community in Forrest County by the Dixie Community Utility Association.
Officials say a lightning strike to the association’s main water line is the cause of the notice.
Residents who live on the following roads are affected:
- Ryan Road
- Tucker Road
- Taylor Road
- Ralston Road
- North Gate Road
- Lee Avenue
- Smith Mitchell Road or Smith Road
- Breland Conley
- Everyone on U.S. Highway 49 north of Lee Avenue and Rogers Road
The association said crews are on site and service will be restored “as soon as possible,” but everyone on the roads will be on a precautionary boil water until further notice.
9:37 p.m.
Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel is reporting three injuries from the area, as one came from a firefighter who was using a chainsaw while clearing the roadway.
Rigel said no fatalities have been reported. Most of the affected roads are down to one lane, but Rigel urges motorists to avoid those areas at this time.
The sheriff told WDAM 7 that school closures are possible, but none have been confirmed at this time.
A lot of damage is being reported out of the following areas:
- Coal Town Road
- Purvis Oloh Road
- Purvis to Columbia Road
- Central Industrial Row area near the multipurpose center
Rigel said the county’s emergency management agency’s building had damage, including the 911 dispatch center.
Crews are expected to be out for a while, according to Rigel, but he said the area did “dodge a bullet.”
9:31 p.m.
NWS Jackson has issued a tornado warning for Jones and Covington counties until 10:30 p.m. Residents are urged to take cover at this time.
9:25 p.m.
PowerOutage.us is reporting 1,269 customers in Perry County are experiencing outages.
- Mississippi Power – 608
- Dixie Electric – 259
- Singing River Electric – 402
9:18 p.m.
Lightning and storm rotation were seen by a WDAM 7 SkyCam in Collins during coverage of severe weather in the Pine Belt Wednesday night.
9:06 p.m.
Development Family Resources Founder Zella Bush told WDAM 7 they will be open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for storm relief.
9:05 p.m.
WDAM 7’s Raven Little and Delaney Dukes are out in Lamar County, where emergency officials and first responders are working to clear roadways of debris and assess damage in the Purvis area.
8:45 p.m.
NWS Jackson has issued a tornado warning for Covington and Jefferson Davis counties until 9:45 p.m. Residents are urged to take cover at this time.
8:30 p.m.
WDAM 7 viewers have started to send in photos and videos of storm damage across the Pine Belt.
If you have photos or videos to share, click HERE.
8:07 p.m.
A viewer video shows damage to Coaltown Baptist Church in Purvis after storms rolled through the area.
8:04 p.m.
NWS Jackson has issued a tornado warning for Jefferson Davis County until 9 p.m., after a tornado was reported on the ground. Residents are urged to take cover at this time.
7:58 p.m.
Forrest County Board of Supervisors President Terri Bell told WDAM 7 that trees are reportedly down on Browns Ridge Road going into Purvis and one is down in Dubose. Elks Road and Patrick Road are also blocked. She also said trees are down in Dixie, along with a “couple barns” that suffered damage.
PowerOutage.us reports that 1,043 customers are without power in the Jefferson Davis County area:
- Entergy – 646
- Southern Pine Electric – 397
7:56 p.m.
NWS Mobile has extended the tornado warning for Perry County and issued a tornado warning for Greene County until 8:30 p.m.
7:47 p.m.
Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel said “no damage” was reported at the storm shelter, but there may be trees down across the road. People inside the shelter are safe, according to the sheriff.
7:44 p.m.
Lamar County Fire Coordinator Kyle Hill reports that power lines are down on Coal Town Road and Central Industrial Row.
7:34 p.m.
Lamar County Road Manager Tommy Jones told WDAM 7 that there was a reported direct hit over the county emergency management/storm shelter/fire services. Roads are closed across the area.
7:27 p.m.
Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel told WDAM 7 that damage has been reported around Industrial Park near Lamar Christian School. He urges residents to stay inside as trees are down over roadways. Emergency crews and first responders are working to clear roads at this time.
7:24 p.m.
A tornado warning has been issued for Perry County until 8:15 p.m. Residents are urged to take cover at this time.
A tornado warning has been issued for Forrest County until 8 p.m. Residents are urged to take cover immediately.
7:11 p.m.
WDAM 7 Chief Meteorologist Patrick Bigbie is reporting that models are showing that a tornado is on the ground between Forrest and Lamar counties.
7:10 p.m.
PowerOutage.us reports that 923 Southern Pine Electric customers in the Pine Belt are without power:
- Covington County – 594
- Jefferson Davis County – 323
- Jasper – 6
7:04 p.m.
A tornado warning has been issued for Forrest and Lamar counties until 7:30 p.m.
7:02 p.m.
PowerOutage.us reports that 1,796 Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association customers are experiencing outages. The affected counties and each of their customers have not been recorded at this time.
6:52 p.m.
Pearl River Valley EPA is reporting that they have over 700 members without power. Southern Pine Electric has about 1,000 members without power.
6:18 p.m.
A tornado warning has been issued for Marion and Lamar counties until 7:15 p.m. Residents are urged to take cover immediately.
5:45 p.m.
The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for Walthall County until 6:45 p.m.
STORM SHELTERS
- Wayne County Sheriff’s Department Courtroom
- Lamar County Community Shelter
- 105 Central Industrial Row, Purvis
- Jones County Safe Room
- 1425 Ellisville Blvd, Laurel
- Forrest County Safe Room
- 946 Sullivan Dr, Hattiesburg
OUTAGE MAPS
Southern Pine Electric Outages
Pearl River Valley EPA Outages
Stay tuned with the latest updates from our First Alert Weather team as the weather moves through the Pine Belt.
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