Thursday, April 28, 2016

Flash Flood Emergency Declared Along Gulf Coast; Biloxi, Gulfport Residents Told to Stay Home

Sean Breslin
Published: April 28,2016

Residents were told to stay home along Mississippi's Gulf Coast Thursday morning as torrential downpours triggered flash flooding that forced military vehicles to be deployed for water rescues.
Biloxi and Gulfport were hit hard by flooding that swamped roadways and even entered some homes, according to National Weather Service storm reports. Public schools in Biloxi, Gulfport and Ocean Springs delayed opening Thursday morning, according to WLOX.com. The NWS declared a flash flood emergency for Gulfport and Biloxi.
(MORE: The Worst Things You Can Do in a Flood Emergency)
Stay off the streets! . This is west of 3 Rivers Rd in GPT

NWS storm reports also said water was entering multiple homes in Gulfport Thursday morning. Social media videos showed several inches of water in the hallways and classrooms at Gulfport High School.
Parts of the area received nearly 10 inches of rain in just a few hours Thursday morning. Although the flooding was relatively localized, the cities affected were quickly overwhelmed by the downpours.
"Some of the worst, most notorious flash floods are small in scale. Doppler radar estimated over 6 inches of rain had fallen in just over a 300 square mile swath of southern Mississippi near Gulfport and Biloxi Thursday morning," said weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman. "You don't need a strong frontal system, surface low, or jet stream to produce these small-scale flash flood events. In many cases, the weaker, more stagnant and slower the features are, the better for flooding."
Biloxi R. near Wortham, MS has risen > 10' since this AM from a stage below 1'. http://1.usa.gov/1SC4hSX 

According to the City of Biloxi, more than two feet of standing water was reported on U.S. 90 in front of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
"We have a large, copious amounts of water building up and a ton of water standing in place," Harrison County Emergency Management Director Rupert Lacy told the Sun Herald. "Major roads are closed all over town. Public service, the police and road crews are putting up barricades where they can."
Keesler Air Force Base was placed under a lockdown because of the flooding Thursday morning, the Sun Herald also reported.
This is a developing story; please check back frequently for updates.

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