By Enid Lake Park Rangers

Water Safety Top Priority

The 2012 Fourth of July weekend proved to be yet another fun-filled and entertaining weekend at Enid Lake.

Over 30,000 visitors of all ages ventured out to Enid Lake to celebrate Independence Day with friends and family. Visitors enjoyed an assortment of recreational activities which included: camping, fishing, skiing, swimming, and cooking out.

The outside air was filled with the smell of barbecue, sounds of children playing, and boaters motoring across the lake. Throughout the week Enid Rangers ensured visitors were practicing water safety while participating in all water related activities.

The Enid Lake Field Office thanks Batesville Tire and Muffler for supporting Enid Lake’s Water Safety efforts over the Fourth of July Holiday Weekend. With their help over 30,000 visitors enjoyed a safe and fun weekend at Enid Lake.

Enid Personnel reminds all visitors to area lakes to keep water safety at the top of their list when planning activities even though the two major summertime holidays have passed.

The staff at Enid Lake also reminds all visitors to be aware of weather conditions, when enjoying summertime activities. With the rise of summer temperatures, isolated thunderstorms are always possible

These thunderstorms can pop up very quickly and have many hazards associated with them including: lightning, hail, and possible tornadoes or high winds. Visitors need to pay close attention to weather conditions and vacate the beaches, lake, and to stay away from trees when severe weather is threatening.

It is a good idea for visitors to always have a severe weather plan in place and ensure that everyone in the party knows what to do. With today’s technology, weather forecasts can be obtained through wireless devices including: radios, cell phones, smart phones, and many other portable devices most of which can also be programmed to receive severe weather alerts. Remember plan, be prepared and always make safety a top priority.

To help notify visitors of severe weather threats, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has installed a tornado warning siren at the north end of Enid Dam. The siren will be activated by the Yalobusha County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), when a tornado has been spotted or is likely to occur within the area.

Activation of the siren is coordinated with the National Weather Service, weather spotters and affiliated agencies. Upon activation, the siren will sound for three minutes, and then as needed until the warning has been cancelled.

Monthly Siren Tests will be conducted on the first Tuesday of each month at 8 a.m. If severe weather is forecasted on that date/time, the test will be postponed until the following day.
Sirens are limited in range and due to weather, location and topography of the land it may not be heard in all areas around the lake.

For more information on water safety at Enid Lake please contact the Enid Lake Field Office at 662-563-4571 or visit the following website at http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Lakes/ms/enid/.