By Josh Edwards

josh.edwards@vicksburgpost.com

 

A severe storm system capable of producing tornadoes, golf ball-size hail and winds up to 75 mph is expected to pass though Warren County in the wee hours of Friday morning.

The severe weather is expected to hit shortly after midnight and could stall in the area until about 4 a.m., National Weather Service meteorologist Alan Gerard said during a 1 p.m. statewide briefing.

“It shows some very intense storms moving into the Delta and getting stuck there for a while,” Gerard said of the forecast.

The storm system is capable of producing winds from 60 to 75 mph and is expected to dump between 1 to 2 inches of rain across the region with isolated areas receiving heavier precipitation, Gerard said.

Golf ball-size hail is also a possibility with the storm system, though the most severe weather is expected to remain in the Greenville and Greenwood areas.

Warren County Emergency Manager John Elfer said he has briefed city and county road crews of the potential dangers.

The chance of flash flooding and fallen trees will increase over the weekend as a second storm cell is predicted to move though late Saturday and remain until Monday morning, Gerard said.

“We’re definitely growing increasingly concerned about a widespread heavy rainfall event,” he said.

Vicksburg has a 70 percent chance of showers Saturday night and all day Sunday.