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Isle, Louisiana, eastward across the Mississippi, Alabama, and northwest Florida coasts to Apalachicola. It pointed out that winds were increasing and tides rising along the northern Gulf coast from Grand Isle eastward. It urged immediate evacuation of areas affected by tides, and repeated the other warnings. An Air Force reconnaissance flight into Camille Sunday afternoon, the advisory stated, estimated the winds at 190 miles per hour near the center with hurricane force winds extending outward 60 miles and gales outward 180 miles from the center.
On Sunday, Aug. 17 at 5 p.m. CDT, Advisory Number Seventeen was issued. It stated:
“Hurricane warnings are in effect from New Orleans and Grand Isle, Louisiana, eastward across the Mississippi, Alabama, and northwest Florida coast to Apalachicola. Gale warnings are in effect from Morgan City to Grand Isle. Preparations against this extremely dangerous hurricane should be completed before dark.
“Winds are increasing and tides are rising along the northern Gulf coast from Grand Isle eastward. Hurricane force winds are now occurring at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Gales in squalls are spreading inland over the warning area and winds will reach hurricane force over much of the area from southeast Louisiana across coastal Mississippi, Alabama, and into extreme northwest Florida later this afternoon or by early tonight. The following tides are expected tonight as Camille moves inland: Mississippi coast, Gulfport to Pascagoula, 15 to 20 feet. Pascagoula to Mobile, 10 to 15 feet. East of Mobile to Pensacola, six to 10 feet. Elsewhere in the area of hurricane warning east of the Mississippi River, five to eight feet. Immediate evacuation of areas that will be affected by these tides is advised.
“The center of Camille is expected to move inland on the Mississippi coast near Gulfport early tonight. Several tornadoes are likely over extreme southeast Louisiana eastward to Fort Walton, Florida, and up to 100 miles inland through tonight. Any flood statements needed will be issued by the local Weather Bureau offices. .
A bulletin issued at 7 p.m. CDT on Sunday, Aug. 17, added that heavy rains with local amounts eight to ten inches would spread into
southeast Mississippi, southwest Alabama, and the Florida panhandle that night. At that time, the center of hurricane Camille was located by New Orleans and other landbased radar near latitude 29.5 north, longitude 89.1 west, or about 70 miles east-southeast of New Orleans and 60 miles south of Gulfport, Mississippi, moving north-northwest about 15 miles per hour. Highest winds were estimated at 190 miles per hour with hurricane force winds extending outward 60 miles and gales 180 miles from the center.
Advisory Number 18 was issued at 11 p.m. CDT on Sunday, Aug. 17. It reported Camille moving inland near Gulfport, Mississippi. It repeated the hurricane warnings and urged precautions be continued. It stated that hurricane force winds were then occurring over most of the warning area. It again forecast heavy rains and the tides quoted earlier.
It said that “those in the path of the eye are reminded that the winds will die down suddenly if the eye passes over your area but the winds will increase again rapidly and from the opposite direction as the eye moves away. The lull with Camille will probably last from a few minutes to one-half hour and persons should not venture far from safe shelter. Hurricane Camille has begun to fill and will weaken quite rapidly as it continues northward through Mississippi at about 15 miles per hour tonight and Monday. Winds and seas will gradually diminish Monday as Camille moves away from the coast. Warnings will be discontinued Monday.”
At 1 a.m. CDT on Monday, Aug. 18, a bulletin was issued at the time when Camille was battering the Mississippi coast and heading inland. It reported that hurricane winds were occurring from extreme southeast Louisiana eastward across the Mississippi coast with a few squalls to hurricane speed likely across coastal Alabama into northwest Florida. Tides were running ten to 20 feet above normal on the Mississippi coast and five to ten feet elsewhere from southeast Louisiana to Northwest Florida. It cautioned that several tornadoes were likely that night within 100 miles of the coast in the area of southeastern Mississippi eastward to Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
At 1 a.m., the center of the hurricane was located by New Orleans and other landbased
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Historic Hurricanes (Treutel Book) Historic-Hurricanes-Of-Hancock-County-1812-2012-(134)
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