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Paige Roberts, executive director of the Southeast Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the heavy rains accompanying the changing weather played a major role in the decision to reopen the shelters.
"Then (we) have a cold front move in which will cause quite a few problems. The low will feel like 25 degrees. We are suspecting that there will be people needing the shelters and particularly in those areas," she said of the decision.
The shelters will remain open as-needed, Roberts said.
The last hurricane shelters, which opened after Katrina struck Mississippi on Aug. 29, had closed last week.
Jackson County Supervisor John McKay spent most of Tuesday alerting residents of the weather threat. He was worried because some hurricane victims live in tents and were unable to keep up with threatening conditions.
"Some don't have TVs," McKay said.
The National Weather Service in Jackson issued severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings across much of the state Tuesday and Tuesday night.
Funnel clouds were spotted in Lowndes County and preliminary reports indicated that at least one tornado touched down and may have caused some damage, officials said.
"There is a possible tornado which we will have to investigate around Columbus Air Force Base in the northeast part of the state," said Jeff Craven, a science and operations officer for the National Weather Service office in Jackson.
In DeSoto County, Southhaven had reports of hail measuring two inches in diameter and Olive Branch experienced some wind damage with reports of fallen tree limbs.
Jefferson County, in the southwestern part of the state, had reports of hail measuring one inch in diameter.
