South Mississippi casinos closing ahead of Hurricane Sally. Here’s what you need to know
Editor’s note: Casinos are reopening Wednesday as Sally’s impacts went east of Mississippi. Here are the details.
Just a few months after reopening in May, South Mississippi casinos are closing as Hurricane Sally nears the Coast.
Mississippi Gaming Commission on Monday ordered the 12 casinos in South Mississippi to close by 4 p.m. Monday.
Sally is forecast to make landfall Wednesday, bringing life-threatening storm surge and 8-16 inches of rain, with 24 inches possible in some locations.
Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday morning that the storm is forecast to come on shore at 2 a.m. Wednesday in Biloxi, where eight of the 12 Coast casinos are located.
At 11 a.m. Monday, the road leading to Silver Slipper Casino in Hancock County had already flooded.
“We shut down at 10 o’clock this morning,” said John Ferrucci, Silver Slipper general manager.
All the guests at the casino and hotel have left, he said, and only a skeleton crew will remain on property for the storm.
He said they hope to reopen Thursday.
U.S. 90 along the Coast and other roads in Harrison and Hancock counties near the casinos also are expected to flood.
Palace Casino Resort will close the entire resort, including the hotel, at 4 p.m. Monday to prepare for Sally.
The Gaming Commission orders the closing of the casinos, but the casino operators can keep the hotels open to accommodate out-of-town customers and emergency personnel.
The casinos will remain closed until the Gaming Commission permits them to reopen.
This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 11:35 AM.
