Stay put

Officials continue to urge Mississippi Gulf Coast evacuees notto attempt to return home. Evacuees or residents attempting to getthe the coast could impede rescue missions, which are stillongoing.

Ice distribution

National Guard troops will distribute water and ice today in thefollowing locations:

Amite County Courthouse, Liberty; north fire station,Hazlehurst; SuperValu parking lot, Monticello; BrookhavenRecreation Department, Brookhaven; Pike County Fair Grounds,McComb; Southwest Event Center, Tylertown.

Shelters

Currently, there are 98 American Red Cross shelters open inMississippi. The current total population is 12,798 with a totalcapacity of 32,246. The need to open additional shelters isanticipated. Local governments and other community organizationsare asked to consider opening shelters, and local businesses areurged to donate supplies to support those additional shelters intheir communities.

State Guard

All members of the Mississippi State Guard (not the NationalGuard) who are not deployed, please call the Emergency OperationsCenter at Joint Force Headquarters, Mississippi, at (601) 313-6518and ask for Capt. Glover or Col. Hutson.

Roadway conditions

MDOT announces the following roads are now open for publicaccess:

I-55 from Louisiana to Tennessee, I-20 from Louisiana toAlabama, I-59 from Alabama to Laurel, Highway 61 from Louisiana toTennessee, Highway 49 from Seminary to Jackson, Highway 98 fromBude to Columbia, Highway 84 from Natchez to Prentiss, Highway 24from Woodville to McComb, Highway 48 from Centreville to Tylertown,Highway 13 in Smith County Only, Highway 18 from Puckett to BaySprings, Highway 35 from Raleigh to Columbia, Highway 28 from Mageeto Taylorsville, Highway 469 in Florence to Highway 28, Highway 13from Pinola to Puckett, Highway 13 from Prentiss to Columbia,Highway 541 from Magee to Puckett, Highway 44 from Columbia toSumrall and from McCoomb to Highway 583.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation suggests no onetravel state highways other than the ones given due to excessivedebris and downed power lines.

Roads which remain closed due to search and rescue effortsinclude:

I-10 from Louisiana to Alabama, Highway 90 from Louisiana toAlabama, I-110 from I-10 to Highway 90, Highway 605 from I-10 toHighway 90, Highway 49 from Seminary to Gulfport, I-59 from Laurelto Louisiana, Highway 63 from Highway 98 in Lucedale to I-10 inMoss Point, Highway 607 from I-10 to Stennis Space Center, Highway84 from Collins to Waynesboro, Highway 98 from Mobile toHattiesburg, Highway 43 from Highway 90 to I-10, Highway 57 fromHighway 90 to I-10.

Motorists will be asked to show identification proving emergencypersonnel status in order to access these roads.

Retirement checks

The Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi willdisperse benefit checks in the usual manner for the month ofSeptember.

For benefit recipients who receive their checks by mail, thechecks were mailed Wednesday. For benefit recipients who receivetheir benefits by direct deposit, benefits were to be transmittedto banking institutions today.