THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 17 IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN MISSISSIPPI THIS WATCH INCLUDES 23 COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI LEAKE RANKIN SCOTT SIMPSON SMITH IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI CLARKE JASPER KEMPER LAUDERDALE NESHOBA NEWTON NOXUBEE WINSTON IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI CLAY LOWNDES OKTIBBEHA IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI JEFFERSON DAVIS LAWRENCE MARION IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI COVINGTON FORREST JONES LAMAR THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BASSFIELD, BAY SPRINGS, BRANDON, BROOKSVILLE, CARTHAGE, COLLINS, COLUMBIA, COLUMBUS, CONEHATTA, DE KALB, DECATUR, FOREST, HATTIESBURG, HEIDELBERG, LAUREL, LOUISVILLE, LUMBERTON, MACON, MAGEE, MENDENHALL, MERIDIAN, MONTICELLO, MORTON, MOUNT OLIVE, NEW HEBRON, NEWTON, PEARL, PEARL RIVER, PHILADELPHIA, PRENTISS, PURVIS, QUITMAN, RALEIGH, RICHLAND, SCOOBA, SHUBUTA, STARKVILLE, STONEWALL, TAYLORSVILLE, UNION, WEST HATTIESBURG, AND WEST POINT.

AFFECTED AREAS: CLARKE, MS … CLAY, MS … COVINGTON, MS … FORREST, MS … JASPER, MS … JEFFERSON DAVIS, MS … JONES, MS … KEMPER, MS … LAMAR, MS … LAUDERDALE, MS … LAWRENCE, MS … LEAKE, MS … LOWNDES, MS … MARION, MS … NESHOBA, MS … NEWTON, MS … NOXUBEE, MS … OKTIBBEHA, MS … RANKIN, MS … SCOTT, MS … SIMPSON, MS … SMITH, MS … WINSTON, MS