Amos Magliocco
EF5
Jeff Gammons reports that the areas of Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi that he and Chris Collura have observed this evening are “unrecognizable.†Jeff described the damage as catastrophic.
The Weathervine crew, including Jim Edds, stationed themselves late last night between Biloxi and Gulfport at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. Their location on a sort of barrier island was within one mile of the shore. The convention center included a steel-reinforced parking garage several stories high, and a larger, fully enclosed coliseum structure as well as a hotel. Many other people also rode out the storm in this facility.
Jeff said that he witnessed storm surge more than thirty feet high, water that included debris such as cars, boats, yachts, gasoline, oil, debris from the casinos (including poker chips) and other material. Jeff said the surge arrived slowly at first, built gradually, and then, with the arrival of the eastern eyewall, increased dramatically with crashing walls of water and debris. The crew was forced to relocate their vehicles to higher ground several times. Many of the hotel guests pointed out their own cars floating in the water below, along with the seacraft.
I asked Jeff about the relative lack of video coming from that area and he said, “That’s because it’s completely catastrophic.†Jeff and Chris are attempting to locate an area with power and food. They are currently eastbound on Interstate 10 approaching Pensacola. Jim Edds remained in Mississippi.
The Weathervine crew, including Jim Edds, stationed themselves late last night between Biloxi and Gulfport at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. Their location on a sort of barrier island was within one mile of the shore. The convention center included a steel-reinforced parking garage several stories high, and a larger, fully enclosed coliseum structure as well as a hotel. Many other people also rode out the storm in this facility.
Jeff said that he witnessed storm surge more than thirty feet high, water that included debris such as cars, boats, yachts, gasoline, oil, debris from the casinos (including poker chips) and other material. Jeff said the surge arrived slowly at first, built gradually, and then, with the arrival of the eastern eyewall, increased dramatically with crashing walls of water and debris. The crew was forced to relocate their vehicles to higher ground several times. Many of the hotel guests pointed out their own cars floating in the water below, along with the seacraft.
I asked Jeff about the relative lack of video coming from that area and he said, “That’s because it’s completely catastrophic.†Jeff and Chris are attempting to locate an area with power and food. They are currently eastbound on Interstate 10 approaching Pensacola. Jim Edds remained in Mississippi.
