Storm sirens blared early this morning as a squall line carrying wind speeds of 70 mph blasted through Columbus.
“It”s going to come into Crawford, Artesia, Steens and the city of Columbus,” said Lowndes County Emergency Management Director Cindy Lawrence this morning. “We just wanted to let people know we are under a (severe thunderstorm) watch.”
The storm caused the National Weather Service in Jackson to issue tornado warnings for southern Lowndes County and northern Noxubee County.
“We”re just being cautious and issuing the tornado warnings to capture any potential we have from this storm,” a representative from the NWS in Jackson said this morning.
The storm carried with it heavy rains and lightning.
As of this morning, there were no reports of any damage.
According to the NWS, area residents can expect scattered thunderstorms and a 30 percent chance of afternoon rains throughout the rest of the week.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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