Mayor says city is prepared for severe weather

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Vicksburg Mayor Willis Thompson announced today, Friday, Jan. 23, the city is prepared for the potentially historic severe winter weather expected to impact the region over the weekend, with life safety as the top priority.

According to a release, on Thursday, Jan. 22, Mayor Thompson met with leadership from all city departments to review preparedness plans and ensure a unified response ahead of the approaching winter weather system. These discussions focused on emergency operations, staffing, infrastructure readiness, and interdepartmental coordination.

Thompson said city crews will be working around the clock throughout the weather event to monitor conditions, respond to emergencies, and address issues as they arise, including roadway hazards, public safety needs, and continuity of essential services.

Mayor Thompson is urging residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary, noting that hazardous conditions will likely develop rapidly and remain dangerous for an extended period. Reducing travel will help emergency responders and public works crews operate as safely and effectively as possible.

“Our focus is protecting and saving lives,” Thompson said. “We’ve taken proactive steps to prepare, and we are asking the public to do their part by taking this storm seriously, making preparations now, and avoiding unnecessary travel.”

Residents are encouraged to stay informed through official communication sources. The following official sources will provide verified, up-to-date information on the severe winter weather expected this weekend:

City of Vicksburg Alerts: http://hyper-reach.com/mscityofvicksburgsignup.html

US National Weather Service Jackson Mississippi: https://www.weather.gov/jan/

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency: https://www.msema.org/

Mississippi Department of Transportation: https://mdot.ms.gov/

Warren County Emergency Management Agency: https://www.co.warren.ms.us/departments/emergency-management-agency/

Mississippi Department of Public Safety: https://www.dps.ms.gov/

Entergy Outage Map: https://www.entergy.com/viewoutages

Additional updates will be provided as conditions evolve.