Biloxi Public Works crews, who worked through the night to help keep roadways and storm drains clear, were on the streets again today picking up the minimal debris left in the wake of Tropical Storm Bill.
Mayor A.J. Holloway termed the storm a “nuisance,” in that no lives were lost, no serious injuries were sustained and no major property damage was reported, but the city did endure isolated street flooding and high winds.
WLOX-TV chief meteorologist Mike Reader said this afternoon that the DeBuys Road station recorded 4.15 inches of rain in the past 24 hours, with winds gusting as high as 49 mph Monday evening. Keesler Air Force Base reported 3.2 inches of rainfall in the 12-hour period that ended at 7 this morning.
“We were fortunate,” Holloway said, “and I want to commend the teams of Public Works employees and public safety officers who worked through the evening ready to respond to any emergency.”
This morning, the mayor was helping welcome about 5,000 visitors to Biloxi with the Mississippi Municipal League, one of the Coast’s largest annual conventions. The group, which has had some delegates in town since the weekend, held its opening session at the Coast Coliseum this morning and will have some members on the Coast through Thursday afternoon.
“We have no reports at this point of any homes flooding, but we did have some street flooding in low-lying areas of the city,” Holloway said. “We also had a couple of downed trees, but other than that, I’m not aware of any major damage.
“We’re hoping the skies will continue to be bright and sunny as we head into what we are confident will be an outstanding Fourth of July weekend.”
For details on Fourth of July events, click here.
