Watches/Warnings/Closings/Evacuations/Updates/Links/Contact Info
Ivan Closes in on our Gulf Coast

MS GULF COAST UPGRADED TO HURRICANE WARNING AS OF 4PM CST 9/14/04

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As Hurricane Ivan Closes in on our Gulf Coast we will do our best to
keep you informed and provide helpful information.

UPDATED 600PM CST WED 9/14/04

click here for arfchived page from prior to 5pm 9/14/04

click here for archived page from prior to 5am 9/14/04

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials said a mandatory evacuation of residents and businesses south of Interstate 10 in the three coastal counties of Jackson, Hancock and Harrison was to take effect at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Residents were being urged to leave earlier

-MOST RECENT UPDATES -

WTNT34 KNHC 142025
TCPAT4
BULLETIN
HURRICANE IVAN ADVISORY NUMBER  50
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
4 PM CDT TUE SEP 14 2004
 
...HURRICANE WARNING ISSUED ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FOR
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE IVAN...

AT 4 PM CDT...2100Z...A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUED FROM GRAND ISLE
LOUISIANA TO APALACHICOLA FLORIDA...INCLUDING THE GREATER NEW
ORLEANS AREA AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.  A HURRICANE WARNING
MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING
AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT
LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION THROUGHOUT THE
ENTIRE WARNING AREA.

-GCIS WEBCAM LIVE-
AS LONG AS OUR CONNECTION STAYS UP OUR CAMS WILL,
A SHOT OF VANCLEAVE MS SKIES, LIVE, THAT'S ZIP CODE 39565.
ABOUT 4 MILES NORTH OF I-10, AND 2 MILES WEST OF HWY 57
LOCATED IN JACKSON COUNTY MISSISSIPPI

http://www.gcis.biz/webcam.html

LOCAL INFO

• WLOX REPORTS THAT HARRSION COUNTY ORDERS MANDATORY EVACUATION IS ORDERED FOR ALL HARRSION COUNTY RESIDENTS IN ZONES A, B AND C, ANYONE SOUTH OF I-10,
  ANYONE ON RIVERS, CANALS, BASINS, OR BAYS. THESE ORDERS ARE IMMEDIATE AND MUST BE COMPLETED NO LATER THAN NOON 9/15/04.

• 20 SHELTERS ARE TO OPEN ON THE GULF COAST BY 2PM, PLEASE CHECK WWW.WLOX.COM OR WWW.MEMA.ORG FOR LISTINGS AT OR AFTER 2PM 9/14/04

• CASINOS ORDERED TO CLOSE AT NOON ON 9/14/04, ALL GUESTS MUST BE GONE, AND CASINOS MUST BE SECURED BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT

• LOW LYING AREAS, SPECIAL NEEDS PEOPLE, MOBILE HOME RESIDENTS PLEASE BEGIN YOUR EVACUATIONS NOW.

• SHELTERS ARE OPENING UP IN NORTH MS TO HELP HANDLE PEOPLE EVACUATED FROM THE COAST, CHECK THE WWW.MEMA.ORG SITE FOR LISTINGS, CALL FIRST, MOST DO NOT ALLOW PETS.

• JACKSON COUNTY MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR ALL AREAS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 90, ALL LOW LYING OR WATER FRONT AREAS, ALL MOBILE HOMES.

• RED CROSS ASKS ANYONE WITH CERTIFIED MEDICAL EXPERIENCE, RN, LPN, EMT, CNA, PLEASE CONTACT AMR ( AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE IN GULFPORT) TO OFFER YOUR SERVICES IN SHELTERS.

  American Red Cross shelters: Crossgates United Methodist Church, 21 Crossgates Drive, Brandon, MS Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3223 Poplar Springs Drive, Meridian, MS Moselle Memorial Baptist Church, 62 U.S. 11 South, Moselle, MS Faith Presbyterian Church, 400 Magee Drive, Brookhaven, MS Calvary Baptist Church, 2878 Old Highway 27/Warriors Trail, Vicksburg , MS Family Y in Hattiesburg, Veterans Memorial Drive, Hattiesburg. Steckler Multi-Purpose Building, 311 Liberty Road, Natchez. Collins United Methodist Church, 405 Gadenia Ave., Collins. First Baptist Church, 77 Shelby Speights Drive, Purvis. First Baptist Church, 407 Main St., Greenville. First Baptist Church, 814 Azalea Drive, Waynesboro. First Baptist Church, 900 High St., Columbia. Jackson County Shelters include: St. Martin E. Elementary School, 7508 Rose Farm Road, Ocean Springs, MS will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Vancleave High School, 12412 Highway 57, Vancleave, MS will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday. East Central High School, 21700 Slider Road, Moss Point, MS will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Harrison County Shelters include: North Bay Elementary School, 1825 Popp's Ferry Road, Biloxi. Popp's Ferry Elementary School, 340 St. Mary Boulevard, Biloxi. Thomas Reeves Elementary School, 214 St. Augustine Drive, Long Beach. Quarles Elementary School, 111 Quarles St., Long Beach. Good Deeds Community Center, 15101 Madison St., Gulfport. Harrison Elementary School, 15451 Dedeaux Road, Gulfport. Lizana Elementary School, 15341 Lizana School Road, Harrison County. Saucier Elementary School, 24052 First St., Saucier. West Wortham K-8 School, 20199 W. Wortham Road, Harrison County. Harrison Central Ninth Grade, 10463 Klein Road, Gulfport. Orange Grove Elementary School, 11391 Old Highway 49, Gulfport. Three Rivers Elementary, 13500 Three Rivers Road, Harrison County. Woolmarket Elementary School, 12513 John Lee Road, Harrison County. Lyman Elementary School, 14222 Old Highway 49, Gulfport. Central Middle School, 42nd Avenue. Central Elementary School, 1043 Pass Road, Gulfport. Hancock County Shelters include: Hancock Elementary School (the old Hancock North Central), Cuevas Town Road, Kiln, MS.

   

The Accuweather Forecast Map from 9/14/04 at 4pm CST has eye landfall at the MS/AL border after 10pm on Wed 9/15/04. REMEMBER----- Hurricane strength winds still reach outward 100 miles from the eye wall, AND Tropical storm force winds reach 200 miles outward from the eye wall.this means conditions will worsen much earlier than Wednesday evening, even if  you are not in the direct path of the eye.

The National Hurricane Center Forecast Map from 9/14/04 at 4pm CST has the eye landfall near the MS/AL state line on the MS side. Around 7AM Tuesday Morning Reading ongoing discussions from the Hurricane Center, it is hoped the storm will decrease a bit in strength  to at least a strong 4, which is still a DEADLY  storm.  Depending on steering currents and ridges, this map may continue to be adjusted not only in direction but also in time, in the event the storm speeds up or slows down. Please  keep posted hourly at www.noaa.gov

Governor Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency Monday afternoon and signed an executive order placing the Mississippi National Guard on active duty

Linda Rouse, director of Harrison County Civil Defense, said no evacuation order had been issued as of late Monday, but she said officials were suggesting residents leave the coast. Rouse said shelters could open Wednesday  "Leaving the area prior to the storm coming, that's the best bet. Just because you're in a shelter doesn't mean you're safe,'' Rouse said during an afternoon briefing with coast emergency officials.

Steve Delahousey, chairman of the E-911 Commission, said people with special needs, such as the elderly and nursing home patients, should begin leaving the region. He said officials cannot guarantee there will be a shelter for people with special medical needs.

Why does the Weather Channel have their reporters in Florida ?
Well if you haven't been keeping a close eye on this storm then you might not have noticed that at every single update from the
National Hurricane Center for the last 3 days they have continuously shifted their projections to the west. They use ridges, fronts, low and high pressure fronts and troughs that all guide the storm projecting when they will move thru the area and meet up with the storm and what direction they will push it in.   Millions of dollars are spent on hundreds of forecast models they take the most similar ones and call that the track, they take the farthest outside ones and make that the outside of the cones. Then they factor in their range of error over the past 10 years.  It's very complicated and the only sure thing is. There's a serious storm in the gulf, and it's gonna hit land some where. 

From Accuweather at 11am EST on 9/14/04 this was a diagram model of the wind radius of Hurricane Ivan, as you can see the excessive winds are far reaching.	From the National Hurricane Center at 4am CST 9/14/04- this is a wind speed  forecast model for the next 48 hours.

We ask that everyone on the Gulf Coast prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. Please have your hurricane kit ready, your food and water, medicines, supplies ready, your evacuation plans in place, and keep a constant eye on this storm.
Even if your city does not take a direct hit, devastating weather can still affect your area. If you are new to hurricanes always remember to take the approach of better safe than sorry, if you are elderly or need assistance, please call your civil defense or red cross for assistance and planning now. 

In an emergency you need to call 911
** BUT REMEMBER DURING THE MIDST OF A STORM EVEN POLICE AND RESCUE CAN NOT GO OUT DUE TO DANGER**

For civil defense questions call your county
Jackson County Civil Defense           228-769-3111
Harrison County Civil Defense          288-865-4089
 

MEMA
24 Hr Emergency Line: 1-800-222-MEMA(6362)

FEMA
1-800-621-FEMA (3362)

 

HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF MS AS OF 10PM CST 9/13/04	JACKSON COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE OPEN TUES, BUT CLOSED WED AS OF 6PM 9/13/04	HARRISON COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE OPEN 60% ON TUES, BUT CLOSED WED AS OF 6PM 9/13/04	CLICK HERE FOR FEMA ( Federal Emergency Management Agency)
A hurricane watch means that Hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours. Hurricane force winds extend out 100 miles form the eye of Ivan and tropical storm force winds extend out over 200 miles form the eye.	CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED MEMA -JACKSON COUNTY MS INFORMATION ON SCHOOLS AND ROADS	CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED MEMA HARRISON COUNTY MS INFORMATION ON SCHOOLS AND ROADS	CLICK HERE FOR MEMA ( Mississippi Emergency Management Agency)
CLICK HERE TO GO TO JACKSON COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE	CLICK HERE FOR JACKSON COUNTY EVACUATION MAPS	CLICK HERE TO GO TO HARRISON COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE	CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE RED CROSS WEBSITE TO FIND HELP OR DONATE
CLICK HERE TO GO TO National Hurricane Center & WWW.NOAA.GOV for maps, forecasts, advisories, satellite imagery, probabilities and discussions.	CLICK HERE TO GO TO WWW.WLOX.COM our local TV station	CLICK HERE TO GO TO WWW.SUNHERALD.COM our local newspaper	CLICK HERE TO GO TO The Weather Channel