Gov. Tate Reeves on Saturday said the state could begin seeing the effects of Tropical Storm Marco as early as Sunday, with Tropical Storm Laura following on its heels.
The National Hurricane Center reported Saturday morning that Marco could be come a hurricane later in the day.
The governor declared a state of emergency Saturday ahead of Laura and Marco's arrival.
"We are in unprecedented times," he said. "We are dealing with not only two potential storms in the next few hours, we are also dealing with COVID-19."
He and other state officials urged residents to prepare for the storms and, if possible, find places to evacuate that are not public shelters.
Laura, Marco: Mississippi in unqiue position, could still see effects of both storms
Mississippians need to be aware that not only is the state facing the effects of two tropical storms that could potentially become hurricanes, shelter space will be limited because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"You need to make plans early to do so. What we can't have happen is if this thing is to strengthen on Sunday or Monday to have a mad rush of people to our sheltering space," Reeves said.
It is still unclear what will happen as the storms get closer to the United States' mainland.
"We are very early in this process," he said.
Reeves said if TS Laura stays on its current path toward Louisiana, Mississippi will be on the eastern side of the storm.
"And as we know, the eastern front tends to be the area that gets the most difficult time of any tropical storm (or hurricane)," he said.
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Greg Michel said there will be more shelters available in coastal counties since occupancy rates will be lowered by half to two-thirds.
People will not be turned away from shelters but Reeves and Michel urged residents to find other places to wait out the storms.
"People in high-risk areas need to self-evacuate," Reeves said.
Glen Moore, director of Forrest County Emergency Management Agency, said in an earlier story that residents need to include personal protection equipment with their hurricane supplies, including masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes and sprays.
People should remember to make plans for their pets as well as their families, Reeves said.
"Some shelters may not allow pets, so please make arrangements for your pets as well," he said.
Latest NHC updates for Saturday: Tropical Storm Laura path shifts west, Marco strengthens
Reeves said regardless of where the storms make landfall, coastal Mississippi should expect storm surge, so boaters should secure their vessels ahead of the storms.
There are now two tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean, both of them heading toward the Gulf of Mexico, and forecasters aren't sure what will happen when they both get there, USA TODAY reported.
What we know: Tropical Storms Laura, Marco form potential double threat to Gulf Coast
Mississippi Power Co., which provides electricity to southern Mississippi and the Meridian area, is ready to respond quickly if needed, spokesman Jeff Shepard said in an email.
“While we have not activated our storm center at this time, storm directors continue to meet over the weekend, monitor the storm’s development and put plans in place to get additional resources to safely and quickly address any impacts to the service area next week,” he said.
Tropical Storm Marco formed Friday night over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and is forecast to move near the Yucatan Peninsula on Saturday, joining Tropical Storm Laura which is nearing the Dominican Republic.
Both storms are forecast to strike the U.S. within a day of each other, forecasters said. Marco's path is heading toward Texas, while Laura's path has moved away from Florida and toward Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Two hurricanes have never appeared in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time, according to records going back to at least 1900, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. The last time two tropical storms were in the Gulf together was in 1959, he said.
Tropical developments: TS Laura, Marco shift slightly but Mississippi could still see effects of both storms
The last time two storms made landfall in the United States within 24 hours of each other was in 1933, Klotzbach said.
The projected track from the U.S. National Hurricane Center would put both storms together in the Gulf on Tuesday, with Marco hitting Texas and Laura making landfall a little less than a day later, though both tracks remain uncertain.
USA TODAY and the Associated Press contributed to this story. Check back for updates.
Contact Lici Beveridge at 601-584-3104 or lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.
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