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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Hurricane Ike Credit: Courtesy NOAA

[Verbatim From MEMA] PEARL–Hurricane Ike is expected to bring significant tidal surge to Hancock Harrison and Jackson counties even though the storm is heading toward the Texas coast.

–8:55 a.m. Pascagoula
–9:22 a.m. Pascagoula River

–9:24 a.m. Biloxi
–10:29 a.m. Waveland
–1 p.m. Pearlington and the Pearl River

These three counties are under a tropical storm warning and wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour have been recorded on the coast from this storm.

Three shelters are open for residents needing to seek higher ground:

–Jackson County: Gautier Convention Center
–Hancock County: Lagniappe Church (currently has 28 residents)
–Harrison County: Lyman Center (currently has two residents)

The following roads are closed:
Hancock County
–All roads in Jordan River area.
–S. Beach from Barnett North.
–Harrison Street at Blue Meadow.
–Yacht Club.
–Laboga Sreet at Kiln Waveland Road.
–Shoreline Park.
–2000 block of Washington.
–North Beach from Barnett North.
–Garden Isles.
–Herron Bay.
–2nd and 3rd at Harbor.
–North and South Beach.
–Shawnee at Gail.
–Lambert Lane at Pleasure Street.
–Kelly Lane in Pearlington.
–Joes Bayou at Felicity.
–E. River Road.
–Comanche.
–Avenue B at 15, 19 and 2nd streets.
–Turtle Landing.
–Mole Drive.
–Sugarfield at Rainer.
–All streets off Central Avenue.
–Levi Street – Pearlington.
–North Street at Felicity.
–Pogo Street.
–Dove Street.

Jackson County has closed the following roads:
Ocean Springs
–Beachview.
–Edgewater.
–Pickering Forest.
–N 18th Street.
–West Bellefountain Beach.
–Shore Dr at Caldwell Road near Gulfhills Entrance.
–Beach Street off Main Street and east of Beach Street.
–Octavia Road.
–Holcomb Bridge – Barricade in South Bound Lane.
–Halstead Bridge – Barricade on South Bound Lane.
–Triangle at Front Beach.
–Harbour Drive.
–Boat Ramp at Bristol.
–North end of Fort.
–Hwy 90 at Biloxi Bridge.

St. Martin
–Racetrack Road.

Pascagoula
–Krebs Lake by Spanish Fort Area.

Moss Point
–Jefferson Street from River Road to River Pine.
–Dantzler at Arthur Street.
–Dantzler at Main Street.
–Sousthside of 613 Highrise.

Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.