The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) joins the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and other state agencies in recognizing the week of May 1 as Hurricane Preparedness Week.

MDOT wants residents to prepare today for hurricane season, which officially begins June 1 and runs through November.

“Hurricane season is just a few weeks away, but it will be here before you know it,” said Commissioner Tom King, Southern Transportation District. “Take this week as an opportunity to get prepared ahead of the season, and ahead of a storm.” 

To help residents plan evacuations, MDOT provides free travel resources including the 2022 MDOT Hurricane Evacuation Guide in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, and the MDOT Traffic mobile app.

The hurricane evacuation guides will be distributed through newspapers in south Mississippi the first week of June. Additional copies of the maps will be mailed to numerous city halls, libraries and other community centers in south Mississippi for distribution. Residents can also download or order free printed copies of the guide by visiting GoMDOT.com/hurricanes.

Residents are also encouraged to download the MDOT Traffic mobile app. The app provides real-time traffic conditions throughout the state and will be utilized to publish emergency alerts directly to users.

“MDOT’s resources are completely free and available to everyone,” said King. “Our goal is to keep you and your family safe, but it’s up to you to create an evacuation plan before the storm and stay prepared during hurricane season.” 

For more information about hurricane preparation, visit GoMDOT.com/hurricanes. Also visit www.msema.org for additional safety information.

For up-to-date traffic information, visit MDOTtraffic.com or like and follow @MississippiDOT on Facebook and Twitter.