What parts of US 90 flood first? The MS Coast highway will grow perilous during Ida.
Drivers can’t see the dips and valleys on U.S. 90, but storm water finds them, whether from tidal surge or flash flooding during tropical storms and hurricanes.
The tropical weather Hurricane Ida will bring to South Mississippi is no exception.
Areas of the highway could flood as heavy rain bands move ashore, with 8-12 inches forecast.
One of the first areas along U.S. 90 to flood from storm surge is around Miramar Park on the central Biloxi beach, said Kelly Castleberry, district engineer for the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
“When there’s a tropical storm or hurricane event, (motorists) really don’t need to use Highway 90,” Castleberry said. “We’ve got a lot of folks that want to go out and see what damage is going on. It just makes it difficult.”
Castleberry said motorists should use alternate routes for necessary travel, including Pass Road and Interstate 10.
Flood-prone areas of on Hwy 90
Emergency managers for the three Coast counties say flash-flooding is more likely to cover the highway in certain spots.
Areas of U.S. 90 and beach roads that flood first in each county, according to emergency managers for those counties, are listed below:
- In Hancock County, flooding can be expected in the Clermont Harbor area of South Beach Boulevard and some areas in Waveland, and areas of North Beach Boulevard, especially around Dunbar Avenue, said emergency manager Brian Adam.
- In Harrison County, flash-flooding could occur in the Henderson Point area of the beach highway, around Henderson Avenue, in the central beach area of Biloxi around Miramar Avenue, and in sections of East Biloxi, Casteberry said. Emergency manager Matt Stratton also advises that roads near Biloxi’s Back Bay and bayous could be subject to storm-surge flooding because, unlike the beach highway, they are not protected by a seawall.
- In Jackson County, emergency manager Earl Etheridge said westbound U.S. 90 around Washington Avenue in Ocean Springs could experience flash flooding, along with the highway close to Market Street in Pascagoula.
Don’t drive around flood barricades
The bottom line is, motorists should avoid the highway during tropical events. Castleberry and emergency managers say people will drive around flood barricades on roadways, which can be dangerous.
“The roads today are going to be OK until this evening,” Stratton said, “but as the winds pick up and the rain intensifies, I would encourage people to limit their travel this evening unless absolutely necessary.”
This story was originally published June 18, 2021 at 10:26 AM.
