As Nate comes ashore, first responders rescuing people while they still can

First responders are responding to emergencies in deteriorating weather in at least two Mississippi Coast cities before Hurricane Nate makes landfall.

A house on Barimba Drive in Gulfport caught fire shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday. The neighborhood is east of U.S. 49 off Government Street.

The house was fully involved in flames when firefighters arrived, and it appears the fire started in the attic, Gulfport Fire Chief Mike Beyerstedt said.

“The family was outside when our units arrived, so I don’t know if they were inside and came out or came home to find it on fire,” he said.

In Moss Point, firefighters rescued a motorist who drove around a barricade and found himself in the Pascagoula River, said Earl Etheridge, director of Jackson County Fire Services.

And first responders reportedly rescued a person from a flooded area on the Jourdan River. No details were immediately available.

This story was originally published October 7, 2017 at 11:24 PM with the headline "As Nate comes ashore, first responders rescuing people while they still can."