A tornado watch was issued for Pearl River County by the National Weather Service Wednesday afternoon. The tornado watch is set to last until 9 p.m.

The watch was also issued for Amite, Pike, Walthall and Wilkinson Counties.

A tornado watch means a tornado is possible. A tornado warning means a tornado is happening or imminent and residents should take shelter immediately.

Pearl River County’s Emergency Operations Center in Poplarville will be up and running all night, said Emergency Management Director Danny Manley.

“Stay weather aware and stay off the roads,” said Manley.

Mississippi Power has secured 300 linemen and support personnel to assist employees and contractors with severe weather impacts across Mississippi, according to a Mississippi Power spokesperson. Crews with Coast Electric are also on standby to deal with any outages that may occur.