Published: April 02, 2009 04:37 pm      

BREAKING NEWS - Storm moves through county fast

PICAYUNE — A Thursday afternoon storm moved rapidly through Pearl River County, but apparently caused no major damage.

Pearl River County Emergency Management Director Danny Manley said the storm brought 60 mile per hour winds but did not cause any major damage. Hail was reported in the Nicholson area.

A report of a house fire on Highland Drive in Picayune was worked by Picayune Fire Department. Picayune Fire Marshall Pat Weaver said the fire was not storm related but instead was caused by the resident leaving on her stove. Damage to the home was confined to the kitchen area.

Poplarville Fire Chief Kris Foster said he had only one small emergency in his area that involved a school bus being released from the Lamar Christian School in Lamar County during the storm. After repeated attempts to get the principal of the school to cooperate with emergency procedures, Foster said he was able to reroute the bus to a safe location at the Pearl River County Administrative office in Poplarville. The children were then released to their parents.

Other than getting a little wet no harm came to the students, Foster said.

Foster said he will have conversations with the principal and the Lamar County Emergency Management Director to establish a standard operating procedure for future severe weather situations.