Danny Manley, emergency management director of Pearl River County and fire service coordinator, said a post tropical storm hit the area on Sunday. It was a remnant of Hurricane Patricia. It picked up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and dropped it on Pearl River County.

There were 28 mph winds recorded in Poplarville, but there was no major damage reported. There were a lot of limbs and a few trees down. A large sign was also blown down in Poplarville at the Kangaroo service station, Manley said.

Scattered power outages occurred throughout Pearl River County due to Sunday’s storm, according to a representative from Mississippi Power Company.

Manley described the rain as needed especially considering the burn ban that was in effect due to drought conditions.

“The reason we had the burn ban was because we had several weeks with no rain, low humidity and windy conditions. That is as bad as it gets when you’re dealing with forest fires and brush fires,” Manley said.

Manley requested a burn ban last Monday around 10 a.m. and subsequently Gov. Phil Bryant issued one for the whole state at 6 p.m. Tuesday. He noted that the dead leaves in the fall season add to the risk of fire.

Manley urges residents of Pearl River County to exercise extreme caution when burning materials.

“Whenever you decide to burn stuff you, are completely responsible for any damages. You can be fined by the forestry commission and be brought into civil litigation.”