High Wind in Mississippi, September 27 to 29, 1998

Hurricane Georges made landfall on the Mississippi coast, near Oceans Springs, during the morning of Monday, September 28th. Sustained winds were 100 mph. It drifted slowly north across southeast Mississippi that day and weakened to tropical storm strength by late that afternoon. By tuesday afternoon, the weakening tropical system had pushed into western Alabama. High winds associated with the storm reached well inland as wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph were common across southern portions of central Mississippi. Rainfall amounts were heavy with many stations reporting 5 to 8 inches. The combination of high winds and a rain-soaked ground led to many downed trees and power lines, particularly southeast of a Columbia to Laurel line where the strongest wind and heaviest rain coincided. In this area, the pecan crop was hit hard as high winds stripped many of the pecan trees before maturity. Areas to the north and west, and farther from the center of Georges, received lesser amounts of tree and power line damage. Overall, the hurricane cost Mississippi an estimated $310 million in damages with the coast taking the biggest hit.