MDOT advises residents to prepare for Tropical Storm Francine’s impacts

HATTIESBURG, MISS. – As Tropical Storm Francine moves closer to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Department of Transportation advises all south Mississippi residents to prepare now for possible storm impacts, including blocked roadways, flash flooding and power outages.

Tips on how to prepare can be found in MDOT’s free Hurricane Evacuation Guide and Hurricane Emergency Checklist, available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese at GoMDOT.com/hurricanes.

Francine is expected to bring several inches of rain to the southern portion of the state, which can result in flash flooding. MDOT advises motorists to avoid traveling in severe weather, and importantly, never attempt to drive through a flooded roadway.

If you must travel in severe weather, MDOT offers the following tips:

• Never drive through a flooded area; the water may carry your vehicle or cause it to stall. Remember the phrase: “Turn around. Don’t drown.”
• Do not use cruise control when the roads are wet. The distance it takes to stop increases in these conditions.
• If you are in your vehicle during a tornado, seek sturdy shelter or the lowest part of the ground such as a ditch. Never seek shelter under highway overpasses.
• Use your headlights whenever conditions require the use of windshield wipers.

MDOT is currently monitoring the storm, and crews stand ready to respond to potential impacts on roads and bridges. Should conditions warrant, MDOT will halt construction and divert crews to storm preparation and response.

Residents should follow the advice and directives of local officials and remain weather-aware.