Historic warning issued for Mississippi, Alabama. Here’s the latest for MS Coast, beyond

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A powerful storm system is forecast to sweep across the South on Saturday with hail and wind strong enough to down trees and power lines and tornadoes that could hit anywhere from the Mississippi Coast to north Alabama.

Scattered thunderstorms could rumble into South Mississippi by Saturday morning. The biggest risk will hit between 3 and 8 p.m. as the storms thunder east. Tornadoes, hail and wind gusts near 70 mph are possible.

Some tornadoes could have longer tracks than is typical for the Gulf Coast, said Danielle Manning, a forecaster at the National Weather Service in Slidell. They could also be rated EF-2 or greater, delivering wind gusts of 111 to 135 mph.

Threats that strong usually hit only once or twice a year in South Mississippi. “It’s not super, super uncommon,” she said, “but it’s also the higher end of the severe weather threats that we usually see down here.”

A coastal flood advisory is in effect for the Mississippi Coast. Kevin Gilmore, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Slidell, said that could cause more nuisance flooding than significant risk but impact some roads in Shoreline Park, Waveland and Bay St. Louis.

What’s the forecast across Mississippi?

The greatest threat falls across central Mississippi and Alabama.

The National Weather Service is predicting a “likely tornado outbreak” from southeast Louisiana to Huntsville, Alabama. A large area between Hattiesburg, Jackson and Birmingham is at high risk — the most severe forecast the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center offers. The Storm Prediction Center said it was only the third time since 2006 that high of a risk had been issued two days before a storm hits.

The largest tornado threat will begin late morning in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi, then move across Alabama into the evening. There is also a high risk of severe thunderstorms through central Mississippi.

“Numerous significant tornadoes, some of which should be long-track and potentially violent, are expected on Saturday afternoon and evening,” forecasters wrote Friday afternoon.

Central and northern Mississippi, and also north Alabama and South Tennessee, are the “most favored” area for tornadoes that could stay on the ground for miles and reach EF-3 or higher ratings, which deliver winds between 136 and 165 mph.

Hattiesburg, Laurel and Jackson are all at risk of those tornadoes. Forecasters also said the cities could get hail and winds up to 70 mph.

The forecast will clear by Sunday. Manning said temperatures on the Mississippi Coast should warm to the low 70s by midday. There is no chance of rain.

This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 3:35 PM.