Bay St. Louis man evacuates home by kayak after Sally surge floods his neighborhood
Hurricane Sally, meandering in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall at least 90 miles from Bay St. Louis.
But Chris Foster had to evacuate his home in the Shoreline Park community by packing up his kayak and paddling to safety. His friends waited for him near Mississippi 603. Their truck could not make it down Central Avenue, which leads to Foster’s waterfront home on Borneo Street.
About 2 to 3 feet of water from the Jourdan River flooded the Shoreline Park community.
Foster said his street was completely underwater. After checking on his neighbors, the New Orleans native grabbed his kayak, threw in an orange duffel bag, and paddled his way to safety.
And although the water is expected to recede in low-lying areas in Hancock County by Tuesday evening, Foster said he was leaving until the storm passes. He was worried the water would rise and the winds would pick up.
“I’ll just come back out here to see what’s here when I get back,” he said.
Sally is expected to cause storm surge across the Coast. On Tuesday, many streets in Hancock County, Biloxi and Pascagoula were impassable because of flooding. Heavy rain is also a concern on the Coast as Sally inches toward landfall.
“We have some storm surge flooding and we’ve got quite a few streets (flooded) in all our low lying areas,” Hancock County emergency manager Brian Adam said Tuesday morning. “Be patient, and don’t go in there too soon. Let the water recede and then go back in.”
When asked if he had advice for residents, Waveland Mayor Mike Smith said to “stay safe” and avoid flooded streets.
“Turn around, don’t drown, and count your blessings,” Smith said.
Sun Herald reporter Isabelle Taft contributed to this report.
