In terms of becoming hurricane ready, Gustav was a good dress rehearsal for the residents of Meridian and Lauderdale County.
It's a good thing with Ike lurking.
Hurricane Ike is expected to slam Cuba today as it makes its way westward into the Gulf of Mexico. There are several questions in the minds of meteorologists, such as Chad Entremont of the National Weather Service in Jackson. Two of the most pressing questions: how much of Ike's punch will Cuba take from the storm and will the storm be able to re-energize once it moves into the warm waters of the gulf.
"Gustav was a Category 4 storm when it hit Cuba and going over the land mass weakened it some," said Entremont, who is the lead forecaster for hurricanes at NWS. "Ike will actually travel over much more of Cuba, traveling almost its full length from east to west. But what it will do once it gets back into the gulf where the warm waters normally fire up hurricanes is anyone's guess right now."
It normally takes a hurricane 24 to 36 hours to recover from a landfall event. Entremont said other environmental conditions may come into play once Ike leaves Cuba.
"High pressure systems can create wind shear and a front expected to move into the central United States mid week might block Ike on westward," he said.
Local officials in Meridian were pleased last week prior to Gustav making landfall at how prepared residents seemed to be. It is a very important point when staring down the barrel of another storm poised to create havoc.
"By Wednesday we should really have a very good handle on what Ike is going to do," Entremont said. "So my advice is for everyone to keep that hurricane kit close by."
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Where is Ike headed?
Experts say it is too early to tell
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High Honor
The flowers and balloons Crestwood Elementary School Principal Kimberly Kendrick received at school Monday were not an early Valentines' Day gift.
Kendrick has been named Meridian Public School District's 2012 Administrator of the Year – an announcement that both surprised and wowed the 17-year veteran educator when made by MPSD Superintendent Dr. Alvin Taylor. -
Master Dance Class
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Digital system promises better communication
Hopefully in the near future you won't hear someone in the emergency services ask over the radio, "Can you hear me now?"
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Inmate escapes custody
Mississippi Department of Corrections officials said Monday afternoon an inmate escaped from custody Friday and is still being sought.
Officials said Johnny Hall Jr. escaped from two Wilkinson County Correctional Facility officers’ custody while being escorted from his father’s wake at the Picayune Funeral Home in Picayune. Preliminary information indicates Hall left the officers and jumped into a waiting black vehicle with a white female driver. -
Citizen’s Police Academy begins today
The work law enforcement conducts on a daily basis is often misunderstood by the general public.
Officials at the Meridian Police Department developed a program to inform and educate citizens on what police do in serving and protecting the population. The program, The Citizen's Police Academy, has been gaining speed for a couple of years since it was first offered. Officials said it shows residents are interested in police work and how it is conducted. - Woman: decongestant brought meth charge in Alabama
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About face
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