NATCHEZ — Adams County Emergency Director Robert Bradford urges residents to prepare for the hurricane season with tropical storm Cristobal looming in the Atlantic Ocean.

The National Weather Service does not expect Cristobal to hit land, Bradford said. But Miss-Lou residents should still prepare.

“Always prepare,” he said. “A predication is just what it is, a prediction.”

Bradford said families should have enough food, water, batteries and medications to stay healthy until emergency teams can assess the situation.

“First 72 hours, families should be able to sustain themselves,” Bradford said.

Bradford said the biggest threat during a hurricane or tropical storm in Adams County is power outages from fallen trees and limbs.

Older oak trees can be difficult to keep trimmed because of their thickness, Bradford said.

The trees become top heavy and the roots become loose after the ground is saturated with water, Bradford said.

If the power goes out, it is unlikely to be restored until downed trees are removed, Bradford said. Anyone with special needs, such as an oxygen tank, should have a supply of batteries for Hurricane season.

Bradford said high winds associated with tropical storms and hurricanes are not a large concern in Natchez, but businesses or residential homes with large windows should be covered with plywood to prevent any damage if the storm nears the area.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Tim Destri said there is only a small chance the storm will impact areas on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“It’s likely to be what we call a ‘fish storm,’” Destri said. “There’s a small outlier scenario that it’ll be pushed west to the gulf, but there’s a very low probability of it happening.”

Destri urged residents to stay aware of any tropical storm activity until the end of the hurricane season.

“The peak season is pretty much now to September,” Destri said. “It only takes one to cause a lot of problems.”