Governor signs emergency declaration ahead of Zeta

Gov. Tate Reeves signed an emergency declaration Wednesday morning ahead of Hurricane Zeta.

Zeta is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon along the Mississippi and Louisiana coastlines as a significant hurricane, bringing strong winds of up to 100 mph, heavy rain and life-threatening storm surge. The highest inundation will occur somewhere between the mouth of the Pearl River and Dauphin Island, Alabama.

Hurricane conditions are expected this afternoon within portions of the Hurricane Warning area between Morgan City, Louisiana, and the Mississippi/Alabama border. Damaging winds, especially in gusts, will spread well inland across portions of southeast Mississippi and southern and central Alabama Wednesday night due to Zeta’s fast forward speed.

A few tornadoes are expected beginning Wednesday afternoon and through the night over southeastern parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the western Panhandle of Florida.

Heavy rain of up to 4 inches is expected through Thursday across most of Mississippi and Alabama.