BROOKHAVEN — Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency Director Chris Reid gave an update on the county’s new weather alert system Tuesday during a regularly scheduled board of supervisors meeting. His update comes before temperatures are forecast to plummet.

Frigid temperatures will be the primary weather concern this week. The National Weather Service forecasts milder temperatures to return Sunday.

Lincoln County residents are encouraged to sign up for weather alerts from Hyper-Reach. Residents can sign up on cell phones or other electronic devices by either calling or texting “Alert” to 601-435-8111 or by going to Hyper-Reach’s website. 

Residents can additionally download the Hyper-Reach Anywhere app on their phone or tell their Alexa device “Alexa, enable Hyper-Reach,” and follow Alexa’s instructions.

“Our alert system is up and we are getting positive feedback,” Reid said. “It is not geofencing yet. If we get a weather alert we have to physically send it.  If you had a number for a long time it preloaded the ones they could get.”

Reid explained he is working to get a memorandum of understanding signed with FEMA to start using the geofencing side of Hyper-Reach. 

“We can do road closures with it too. I could draw a circle or shape around the bridge and send it to anyone in that zone,” Reid said. 

Cold temperatures ahead

According to the National Weather Service, the cold temperatures and frost greeting residents Monday morning could continue this week. NWS Jackson warns of dangerous cold weather starting around Wednesday night and into Friday morning. 

Temperatures are forecast to plummet down to a low of 37 Tuesday night. NWS Jackson forecasts a 90 percent chance of precipitation Tuesday night. 

Wednesday’s temperatures will fall to 36 degrees by 5 p.m. and continue to a low of 18 Wednesday night. Thursday is forecast to reach a high of 39 degrees and a low of 20 while Friday jumps up to a high of 46 degrees and a low of 29 Friday night. 

Winds on Wednesday and Thursday will reach sustained speeds of 5-to-15 mph with gusts reaching 25 mph. As a result, wind chills could drop to 15 degrees or cooler at night. Cold temperatures could cause damage to unprotected vegetation, pipes and hypothermia is possible with prolonged exposure. 

At this time, there is no forecasted threat of ice or wintry precipitation for Lincoln County.