rode it out in Ocean Springs, MS

[Courtnay Mccullers]

i rode the storm out in Ocean Springs, MS, about 4 miles from the coast (right on I-10).

had 3 wind gusts over 120 (peak 127) at which point the anemometer which was on the roof of my house blew away, along with part of my roof.

probably didn't get any worse than the 127 i had though. in any event, i just drove from my home to my relative's in Citronelle, AL (not too far north of Mobile) and it's not pretty.

Pascagoula/Moss Point had a lot of wind damage and obvious storm surge issues.


missisippi state road 614 (which, when it crosses into mobile county is airport blvd) had trees everywhere, nearly impassable.

town of wilmer, alabama, had some damage and flooding when i drove through.

remarkably, we have power here in citronelle... though i didn't see anybody with power between ocean springs and citronelle.

rural southeast missisippi/southwest alabama took a lot of minor structural damage and TONS of tree/powerline damage. unlike anything i've ever seen.

from pascagoula and points west the damage was even worse. i didn't get a look at much of the storm surge damage.

[ohiostorm]

Glad you are ok.

[Tehuantepecer]

Hi Courtnay,
Thanks for the update on Ocean Springs. My brother has a home near the Ocean Springs Hospital. If you know, was there much damage in this area? He and his family were sent to Biloxi and are doing fine in a hospital there but they have very little communication with what has happened in Ocean Springs. Thanks again for your help.

[Stephanie]

I'm glad that you're alright!

[Courtnay Mccullers]

Hi Courtnay,
Thanks for the update on Ocean Springs. My brother has a home near the Ocean Springs Hospital. If you know, was there much damage in this area? He and his family were sent to Biloxi and are doing fine in a hospital there but they have very little communication with what has happened in Ocean Springs. Thanks again for your help.

honestly, i was just trying to get the hell out of there. i can't really remember a lot of exact details other than the ones i already posted. there was ponding on a lot of roads in ocean springs and pascagoula, though i think it was at least partly rainwater (we had 10+ inches of rain).

there was minor structural damage to many buildings in ocean springs.

i imagine homes on the gulf were destryoed by the surge; i didn't go there.

mainly what i saw was roof damage, some water damage, signs blown down, things like that. i only saw 1 home which looked like it was really destroyed. looked like 1 side of the outside wall failed and the roof was gone. i also saw a well built home with a screened in porch and the porch was destroyed.

really, the damage wasn't THAT bad away from the coast... but down on the water i'm sure it was devastating.


edit: i should note that when you go from ocean springs WEST towards biloxi... it's just a disaster.

[Stephanie]

CNN just had an interview with a woman named Susan that lived in an apartment complex on the beach. She was staying in the Comfort Inn. She said that the apartment building WAS GONE and also a neighbor's home that was just being built!

[belsenj]

Yes, I saw her, Stephanie. She also said that her two story apartment building made it through Camille, but not this storm. She mentioned that many of the beach homes are just gone. I am so saddened to see and hear these stories.

[Tehuantepecer]

Thanks for the reply. I am glad that you made it out OK and I understand why you would want to get out as fast as possible.