We are going to be experiencing some potentially hazardous weather in the next couple of days, with a chance of heavy rainfalls, flooding and even tornadoes.

However, the chance of a serious natural disaster, such as a tornado or hurricane, is minimal, which is good news for us here in Pearl River County. But we should always be prepared for anything.

Although I have only lived here for a year, I understand the tension that occurs in the Gulf Coast area when tropical storms move inland.

When I was a child and an advisory flash flood or tornado warning was issued, I can remember frantically going to the grocery store with my mother for two things, milk and bread.

I didn’t know why that was the emergency protocol, but it wasn’t just our family’s survival instincts to get those things, because those two items literally flew off the shelves.

In school, at least once every year we would practice our tornado warning procedure, where we all lined up in the hallway, crouched into a ball and were told to “pretend like we are in the eye of the storm.”

As a kid, these safety procedures could simply be shrugged off with a couple of jokes between friends. However, the lessons are locked in my mind, reminding me to take weather warnings seriously, but not overreact.

With the potential for flooding to occur in the county, I advise everyone not to worry about their survival milk and bread and stay at home.

Do not drive during heavy rainfall unless absolutely necessary because even the best driver can be the victim of a collision due to the wet and uncontrollable conditions.

If the storm begins to worsen and thunder and lightning begin, it’s no longer a safe time to partake in your evening jog.

Stay indoors and always have a flashlight in the house in case the power goes out.

Again, this storm is nothing to panic about, but if we do not get in the habit of taking these warnings seriously, we could find ourselves in a bad situation when that time does come.