NYE Mississippi Storm Warning: 2021 to Be Ushered In With Severe Weather

The National Weather Service is forecasting severe weather with strong wind and a possible tornado warning for the state of Mississippi this New Year's Eve. Residents of East Mississippi, in particular, can expect heavy rain on Thursday evening, with possible hail and tornados. Michael Edmonston of the National Weather Service in Jackson warns that those traveling for tonight's celebrations should remain cautious and keep an eye on the approaching storm. Considering that about 21% of all motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. include inclement weather as a factor, Mississippi residents should remain vigilant if they do intend to hit the roads this evening. We can expect to see strong wind gusts and potentially damaging storms between 9 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. on Friday. Edmonston reports the possibility of tornadoes and hail in Central Mississippi. Personal safety aside, hail is certainly a cause for concern for any driver due to the havoc it can wreak on cars. Windshield cracks larger than 12 inches in length typically necessitate replacing the glass. Mississippi is not the only region experiencing severe weather this New Year's Eve. According to the National Weather Service, a complex storm system that dumped heavy snow on the Midwest earlier this week is projected to spread snow and ice from Texas to Missouri and unleash severe thunderstorms across east Texas into the Mississippi Valley. Flash flood watches are in effect for areas between East Texas and Arkansas. There are currently no flash flood watches announced for Mississippi, but the central region of the state is forecasted to get one to one-and-a-half inches of rain while the Mississippi Delta area can expect two to three inches. In any normal year, both the roads and skies would be experiencing much higher traffic as Americans across the country travel to visit family and friends for the holidays. Around 1 billion U.S. passengers take a flight every year. But with the COVID-19 pandemic raging on, more people are expected to stay home, which is, of course, much safer in the midst of a winter storm and a global health crisis. The past few years have noticeably been wrought with severe weather, and scientists are detecting a strong link between the planet's warming and the changing weather patterns. While they can't say with absolute conviction whether climate change intensified any specific weather event like the current winter storm, the pattern is undeniable; we've seen stronger heat waves, worse droughts, more intense storms, and heavier snowfall. A 2018 Nielsen report revealed that 81% of global consumers feel strongly that companies should do more to protect the environment. Reducing our carbon footprint on an individual level as well as on an institutional level can help mitigate climate change.