Mississippi is ready!

[Lindaloo]

Hurricane Ivan still has not made that expected turn to the northwest, but remains a dangerous Category Five hurricane.

A hurricane warning remains posted for the westernmost parts of Cuba. There's also a tropical storm watch for the Florida Keys from the Seven-Mile Bridge westward, but that could be lowered later today. The evacuation order for the Keys has already been rescinded.

This morning, Hurricane Ivan is centered about 120 miles south-southeast of the western tip of Cuba. Movement remains to the west-northwest at about nine miles an hour, though the turn to the northwest is still expected in the coming 24 hours.

Top sustained winds are back up to about 160 miles an hour. Some fluctuation is expected.

The center of the official forecast track shows Ivan's center about at Pensacola or Mobile at midweek. But forecast models vary landfall from Apalachicola westward to New Orleans.

Forecasters say it's highly dependent on just when Ivan makes its expected turn, and that northern or even some northeastern movement can be expected later.

With that in mind, the northern Gulf coast from about Cedar Key westerward to Morgan City remains in the forecast cone.

Mississippi Civil Defense officials will meet today on the Gulf Coast to prepare for Hurricane Ivan.

Jackson County Civil Defense director Butch Loper says now is the time to prepare for the storm. Loper says Civil Defense officials want to ensure that county departments are ready.

Some residents are already buying supplies. Canned foods, bread, water, batteries, candles, and gas cans were flying off the shelves at area grocery stores.

Coast resident Margie Anderson drove to the Pascagoula Wal-Mart after finding many of the supplies she wanted gone in the Ocean Springs store. The 48-year-old Ocean Springs woman says people are not wasting time grabbing what they need.

Ivan centered at latitude 20.2 north, longitude 83.9 west.

[stormraiser]

I am glad you are ready Linda. I haven't seen you in chat lately, probably because we are on at different times, but I was worried about you. PTPatrick said you were ready.

[NWIASpotter]

Glad to see you are ready, I hope you stay safe Linda!!

[Stephanie]

I don't want to see Ivan hit anywhere Lindaloo! I feel for the poor people in Florida - enough is a enough! However, that does mean that he would be "aiming" somewhere else and I know there's alot of S2K people here that live along the Gulf coast.

[Miss Mary]

I second that - we don't want anyone to be hit by Ivan! It would be nice if Ivan was downgraded to a Cat 2 or less but that doesn't look like it will happen. So next I want everyone who may in his path, to be prepared and I am praying for minimal loss and damage.

Can you imagine years ago before forecasting/radar, not knowing a major hurricane was aimed at your area? OMG...that would be what happened in the Galveston Hurricane, wouldn't it? That was a tragedy. At least now we can alert people, days ahead of time.

Mary

[j]

Read up on Biloxi and '69 after what you told me yesterday. It's starting to look a lot like history is going to repeat.

Stay safe Linda.