Residents, officials, utility workers and others kept an eye onthe forecast early today as southwest Mississippi braced foreffects from Hurricane Ivan.

Meteorologists predicted Ivan would make landfall on theMississippi or Alabama coast in the overnight hours of tonight intoThursday and said southwest Mississippi could experience somesevere weather associated with the storm.

Following a 5 a.m. news conference with National Weather Serviceofficials, Lincoln County Civil Defense Director Clifford Galeysaid today that the Brookhaven area could expect sustained winds of25-30 miles per hour (mph), with gusts to 40-45 mph, beginningaround sunset Wednesday.

“Conditions will start to deteriorate around noon today orlittle later,” Galey said. “It’s not going to get bad until afterdark.”

Galey said 35-40 mph winds were expected around midnight, withgusts to 65-70 mph. The eye of Hurricane Ivan was forecast to makelandfall around 4 a.m. Thursday near the Mississippi-Alabamaborder. The Lincoln County area seeing gusts of 65-70 mph around 6a.m. Thursday.

Residents were encouraged to clear their yards of anylightweight objects that could be blown away by high winds.

“Basically, people need to get out and pick up garbage cans,lawn chairs, toys…,” Galey said. “Those can become projectiles,so to speak.”

As Ivan comes ashore on the Gulf Coast, the effects of the stormwill be felt up to 260 miles from its eye, said National WeatherService meteorologist Bryan Henry.

“Hurricane-force winds extend out 100 miles from the eye, andtropical storm-force winds extend out 260 miles,” he said. “That’sa very large hurricane.”

The wind, as well as the threat of tornadoes, will pose thelargest threat associated with Ivan, Henry said.

“Fortunately, most of the heaviest rain will be east of theBrookhaven area with most of the rain on the state line withAlabama,” Henry said. “This storm should not produce any floodingconcerns for your area.”

Galey agreed, saying he did not expect Ivan to be a “major rainevent” for this area. Predictions were for the Brookhaven area tosee one to three inches of rain.

“As long as we don’t get all that in a very short period oftime, we’ll be in good shape,” Galey said.

In addition to the Gulf Coast, and WLBT-Channel 3 chiefmeteorologist Barbie Bassett said the heaviest rain should be alongHighway 98 and the Interstate 59 corridor.

“The further north and west you go, the lesser the chances forany heavy rainfall,” she said.

Bassett added that any time a hurricane hits, tornadoes are apossibility.

“When hurricanes make landfall, they spawn tornadoes,” she said,specifying that tornadoes are quite possible in south, southwestand central Mississippi.

Anticipating some weather-related problems in southwestMississippi, Entergy Mississippi was bringing about 130 Mississippiemployees home from Florida, where they had been working to restorepower to some 200,000 customers who lost electricity when HurricaneFrances hit that state.

“Our primary responsibility is to our customers in Mississippi,”Kenny Goza, Entergy customer account manager, said in a newsrelease. “It is still early, but it appears that our part of thestate could be affected by Ivan, and we want to be as prepared aspossible.”

Entergy has instructed its supervisors to review emergency plansfor the utility and identify all essential personnel. In addition,should Ivan knock out power to a significant number of EntergyMississippi customers, the company said it plans to bring inworkers from other utilities as well as contractors to ensurespeedy restoration.

Natural gas provider Centerpoint Energy said late Tuesday thatno emergency plans had been made for the area in anticipation ofHurricane Ivan.

Traffic flow on Mississippi interstates and highways, whilecongested, was flowing smoothly. Should a mandatory evacuation ofNew Orleans be ordered, Mississippi and Louisiana have agreed tomake all lanes of Interstate 59 flow northbound. However, as ofWednesday morning, New Orleans residents had been urged – but notordered – to evacuate.

“I think they’re just keeping an eye on it to see what the stormis going to do,” said a Mississippi Department of Transportationemployee who preferred not to be identified.

Galey said Lincoln County volunteer fire department members hadbeen fueling up their vehicles and checking equipment inpreparation to respond to any storm problems. Galey said he wouldbe speaking with firefighters today about storm preparations.

“We’ll put them all on standby to be ready just in case,” Galeysaid.

Bassett said once Ivan makes landfall, he won’t linger for longand the state should be back under a dry air mass by theweekend.

“The weather should clear up in our part of the state onFriday,” she said. “This storm is a fast mover, as long as itdoesn’t stall.”

She said there were no indications Hurricane Ivan wouldstall.