Curfew issued, casinos closing as Tropical Storm Gordon aims for Mississippi Coast
The first curfew has been ordered and the 12 casinos in South Mississippi will close Tuesday as Tropical Storm Gordon aims at the Coast.
Mississippi Gaming Commission ordered the casinos to close at 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to Allen Godfrey, executive director.
Communities across South Mississippi will be enforcing a curfew during the storm, said Rupert Lacy, director of the Harrison County Emergency Management Agency.
The Harrison County curfew begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday and continues until 7 a.m. Wednesday. Gulfport will have a curfew starting at 7 p.m. until further notice. Poplarville will have a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Hancock County won’t have a mandatory curfew, but EMA director Brian Adam said they are asking people who don’t have to be out to stay in. Pearl River County also will not have a curfew.
Harrison County said in a press release that Sheriff Troy Peterson and police chiefs in Harrison County are concerned for motorists’ safety. First responders and road departments will evaluate the storm as it passes to ensure the roads are safe.
Lacy said a 5-foot storm surge is possible and if that happens, “We’ll have some areas on Highway 90 that will be impassible, yes,” he said.
Shelters
An asterisk notes those that have co-located shelters for animals.
- Jackson County: *Central Jackson County Shelter, 5500 Ballpark Road, Vancleave, and *East Jackson County Safe Room, 18413 Mississippi 613, Hurley
- Harrison County: *County Farm Hurricane Shelter, 15038 County Farm Rd.
- Hancock County: *Kiln Safe Room, 18324 Highway 43, Kiln
- George County: *Agricola Safe Room, 3161 Cooks Corner Road, Lucedale, and *Benndale Safe Room, 5207 Mississippi 26 West, Lucedale.
- Greene County: Leakesville Jr. High, 620 Main St.; Stateline Community Center, 31 Winchester St.
- Stone County: Stone Elementary, 1652 East Central Ave., Wiggins.
- The State Medical Needs Shelter at 1640 Coy Avenue in Wiggins. It is a shelter for people whose medical needs cannot be accommodated in a general population shelter.
- What to bring to a shelter: Bedding, a change of clothes, medications, snacks, an emergency kit, small toys for children. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs and weapons are not allowed.
This story was originally published September 4, 2018 at 2:36 PM.