Tippah County Wind Advisory Set for Saturday as Isaias Moves In
The National Weather Service in Memphis has issued a Tippah County wind advisory for Saturday, Oct. 10, as the remnants of Hurricane Isaias push north into the Mid-South. The advisory runs from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and also covers Benton County, Mississippi, and Hardeman County, Tennessee. Forecasters expect northeast winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph, on top of the heavy rain already covered by a flood watch.
The advisory was issued at 1:33 p.m. Friday. It means Ripley, Walnut, Blue Mountain, Falkner, Ashland, Hickory Flat and Middleton should all plan for a windy, wet Saturday rather than just a rainy one.
What the Tippah County Wind Advisory Means
According to the weather service, gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects, and tree limbs could come down. A few power outages are possible. The NWS also warned that winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles such as box trucks, campers and trailers.
The advisory is part of a larger wind advisory covering much of North Mississippi, West Tennessee, East Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel. In its Friday afternoon forecast discussion, the Memphis office said four Northeast Mississippi counties to the south and east (Lee, Itawamba, Chickasaw and Monroe) are under a Tropical Storm Warning through Saturday afternoon. Tippah and Benton counties are not in that warning, but the strongest winds across the region are expected east of the Mississippi River.
Saturday Forecast for Ripley
The NWS point forecast for the Ripley area calls for:
- Tonight: Showers likely after 2 a.m., low around 60, gusts as high as 30 mph. A tenth to a quarter inch of rain possible.
- Saturday: Rain, cloudy, high near 66. North-northeast wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts as high as 45 mph. Rain chance 100%, with 1 to 2 inches possible.
- Saturday night: Showers likely before 1 a.m., low around 59, gusts to 35 mph. Another quarter to half inch possible.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, high near 80.
The Flood Watch for Tippah, Benton and Hardeman counties remains in effect through 7 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11. The latest watch calls for 1 to 2.5 inches of rain, with local amounts up to 3 inches. The Memphis office noted that rain from a tropical system tends to fall efficiently even when the storm is moving quickly. After weeks of drought, dry ground can send runoff into creeks and ditches fast.
Where Isaias Is Now
As of the National Hurricane Center’s 4 p.m. CDT advisory Friday, Hurricane Isaias was about 90 miles south of Pensacola, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. That makes it a Category 3 storm. It was moving north at 17 mph. A Hurricane Warning covers the coast from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County line in Florida. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves inland. Its remnants should clear the Mid-South by mid-morning Sunday, followed by a warm, dry pattern next week.
How to Prepare Tonight
- Bring in or tie down patio furniture, trash carts, trampolines and Halloween decorations.
- Charge phones and battery packs, and make sure you can get weather alerts overnight.
- Take extra care Saturday if you’re driving a high-profile vehicle or towing a trailer.
- Stay away from downed power lines and report them to your electric provider. In most of Tippah and Benton counties, that’s Tippah Electric Power Association.
- Never drive through water covering a road. Turn around, don’t drown.
Friday night high school football games are expected to finish before the heaviest weather arrives. If you have outdoor plans for Saturday, check with the organizers for any changes.
For earlier coverage, see Tippah County Flood Watch Set as Isaias Rain Nears and our look at Isaias’ Saturday impacts on Tippah County.
Source: National Weather Service Memphis
