Gilich: Storm expected to cruise by

Three years ago at this time, Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich had the Biloxi Fire Department visiting hundreds of RVs along the front beach telling owners in town for Cruisin’ they might consider leaving town early because Hurricane Nate was threatening.

Today, with Hurricane Delta expected to make landfall in Louisiana Friday as thousands of visitors are in Biloxi for Cruisin’ the Coast, Gilich says there’s no reason to worry about the weather. Be watchful and be prepared, but don’t be worried.

Delta, on its current track, will cruise on by Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“Back in 2017 the National Hurricane Center said that Nate was an imminent threat to us,” the mayor said. “I later met that forecaster and he admitted that he blew that one. He had the track correct, but the intensity fell apart.

“All this goes to say that this is not a perfect science, the predicting of storms. However, Delta is not an imminent threat to us. Enjoy Cruisin’ the Coast, while remembering that we are in pandemic. Enjoy our community and its people, while continuing to monitor the weather. And say a prayer for our neighbors in Louisiana.”
The latest on Delta
Gallery: Downtown block party
More on Cruisin’

Boat owners should be prepared

The city has no plans to issue an evacuation order at its four harbors and marinas, but boat owners should nonetheless make sure that their vessels are moored in a way to withstand any abnormal tide.

“We appreciate everyone’s understanding and cooperation,” said Port Division Manager Larry Sablich. “On the current track, we do not anticipate any issues. We do like to make sure we keep our boat owners aware. We also reminded them today that electricity will be lost to slips if equipment is inundated by any high tides. Power would not be restored until tides returned to normal.”

News & notes: Council meeting, B-Alert, traffic

City Council: The Biloxi City Council held a regular scheduled meeting on Tuesday evening at Biloxi City Hall. Apologies for sound quality and joining the meeting a few minutes late. The city’s Information Systems Division continues to work through sound and technical issues. To see the 70-minute recording, click here.

B-Alert: Stay in the know about road closures, road re-openings, and other traffic advisories by signing up for B-Alert.  It’s a real-time, on-the-go messaging system that brings advisories directly to your cell phone.  Just text BILOXI to 888777.

Traffic:  To see the latest traffic advisories and road closures, click here.