Mayor George Flaggs has declared an emergency and set a midnight to 7 a.m. curfew for the city of Vicksburg in anticipation of Hurricane Delta.

“The reason we’re doing this on the front end is so of we have an emergency and need to get contracts we can do so without having to go out for bids,” Flaggs said.

State bid laws allow local governments in certain situations to declare an emergency and bypass going out for bids for certain services.

Flaggs said the curfew is set for the period when Delta is expected to hit the area.

“This is for safety,” he said. “People don’t need to be out in the storm. This will allow the police to patrol the city and the neighborhoods and keep the city safe.”