With the 2015 hurricane season beginning June 1, the college administration has made preparations for potential storms and storm surges/flooding. All college employees are encouraged to take a moment to review their campus and department’s severe-weather policies and plans as well as personal emergency weather plans.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a below-normal season due to El Niño. El Niño causes stronger wind shear, which reduces the number and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes. El Niño can also strengthen the trade winds and increase the atmospheric stability across the tropical Atlantic, making it more difficult for cloud systems coming off of Africa to intensify into tropical storms.

The outlook calls for a 70 percent chance of a below-normal season, a 20 percent chance of a near-normal season, and only a 10 percent chance of an above-normal season. For the hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1 – November 30, NOAA is predicting a 70 percent likelihood of 6 to 11 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 3 to 6 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including zero to 2 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher).

There is always a possibility of a storm striking the Mississippi Gulf Coast, even in years with below normal predictions. Communications play a key role during any emergency, so college information will be communicated through the Connect-ED system, the website, social media and the college’s toll-free number.

To enhance communication efforts, please review the following checklist:

• To ensure notification through Connect-ED, visit Web Services by logging in through the college website. Once you have logged in to the secure area, update your emergency notification information at the bottom, left-hand side of the page under the Personal Information tab. It will ask you to provide both a cell phone number and emergency email address. You will receive emergency information as a telephone call/voice mail, as a text message and as an email message.
• Employees and students are encouraged to check the website and can also call the college’s toll-free phone number, 1-866-735-1122, and check the MGCCC Facebook page for periodic college updates during severe-weather situations as well.
• If evacuation becomes necessary, students and employees who evacuate will find important updates through the local television, radio and newspapers as well as the Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s statewide network of radio and television affiliates. MPB’s radio frequencies are listed on all state evacuation signs.
• The college administration will continue to monitor evolving conditions in the tropics and will issue updates throughout the summer and fall.
• Periodic updates will be posted on this special section of the website throughout the 2015 hurricane season.

The following sites are also important to hurricane preparedness:

• http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/disaster_prevention.shtml
• http://www.noaa.gov/
• http://www.mpbonline.org/
• http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/
• http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes
• http://www.msema.org/
• http://mdot.ms.gov/portal/emergency_services.aspx

The safety, protection and well being of our employees and students are of the utmost importance as we prepare for severe weather as well as other emergencies.