Rescue Missions from Flooding in Gulfport

More than 20 Gulfport residents were rescued this morning as they woke up to rising floodwaters in their neighborhood. News 25’s Laurene Callander joined police and firefighters on Northwood Hills Drive this morning as they ventured out to save lives.
With fear in their eyes, residents watched water rise up to chest level, hoping to make it out alive. Resident Oliver Silas said, “I’ve never seen anything like this before. Katrina was pretty horrific but this outweighs it as far as the flooding goes. I’ve never seen it this bad here in Gulfport.”
Military vehicles rescued families outside of their homes because of the severe flooding. “We have neighbors here that are handicapped and disabled that we really need to get out of here,” said Silas. This included his brother, who made it out safely.
Gulfport police officers and firefighters rescued over 20 people off Northwood Hills Drive in less than two hours. At first, tanker trucks plowed through but eventually got stuck in high water. Boats drifted out into what looked like a sea to allow crews to finish saving the lives of complete strangers. Gulfport Police Captain Chris Ryle said, “This is what we signed up to do, to save lives. We all work together, we’re one big family and we won’t leave anyone behind. We’ll stay together and make sure we’re safe as well as the citizens.”
As the rain came down and water continued to rise, so did their spirits. “Well, my brother’s in safety and I see my neighbors, they’re all safe. I’m just positive everything is going to go good now. Everyone’s out of harm’s way,” said Silas.
While valuables may be damaged, most people are simply fortunate to walk away.

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