Tornado warning issued in Hancock, Pearl River counties during severe weather
Hancock and Pearl River Counties are under a tornado warning on Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
A tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or indicated on radar.
For Hancock County, the warning is in effect until 4:15 p.m. The warning expires at 4:30 p.m. for Pearl River County.
The potential storm on Monday forced the City of Gulfport to close its Harbor Lights Winter Festival in Jones Park. All pre-purchased tickets are valid for one-time entry on any given night, a spokesperson said.
“At 3:19 PM, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Pearl River, moving east at 40 mph,” the Mississippi Department of Transportation said in a news alert.
The National Weather Service has also placed Hancock and Pearl River Counties under a severe thunderstorm warning until 4:15 p.m. Monday.
The warnings are part of a system moving northeast across south Mississippi on Monday.
Brigette Lim, a meteorologist at NWS New Orleans, said forecasters are closely watching radar to determine if other counties may face possible tornadoes as the storm moves east.
“We just need to wait and see what it does when it gets a little closer,” she said.
This story was originally published December 6, 2021 at 3:39 PM.
