GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) – A trampoline that once sat in a Gulfport resident’s yard is now up in a tree following Saturday night’s storm.

Straight-line winds occurred on Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard at Highway 49 in Gulfport, resulting in multiple structural damages.

One resident said she even saw circulation in the air while sitting in her car.

Councilwoman Ella Holmes-Hines says walking through this community is surreal.

Holmes-Hines says, “When you think about the possibility that something was there, I’m used to hurricanes, but I’m not used to anything else. But this is very serious when you see something happening so quickly.”

Harrison County EMA Director Matt Stratton walked the area, gathering images and information from residents about the storm’s aftermath.

Stratton says the damage appeared to be due to straight-line winds Monday afternoon, but he will send the images to the state and the National Weather Service to get a clear answer.

Stratton says, “It looks like strong wind damage to me at this point, but if I share the information with the (National) Weather Service, they will have a better idea of ​​the expertise as to whether or not it was tornado damage.” Regardless “There were damaging conditions on Saturday evening.”

In times of destruction like this, Kent Jones of the Harrison County Board of Supervisors wants residents to know they are there to help.

Jones says: “Sometimes you think no one really cares. We’re out here today, even if it’s a few days later, showing the citizens of this area that we really care. We want the best for them and if there is anything we can do for them we definitely will.”

Holmes-Hines urges people to report any damage to the city to find out where help is needed.

Holmes-Hines says, “But this is so important that we get the information as quickly as possible. We have citizens who have ceiling damage or furniture damage and we need to get that information as quickly as possible.”

The area was also surveyed with a drone sent to the National Weather Service to determine the likely cause of the damage.

To report damage in your area, Gulfport residents can dial 311 or call the city at 228-868-5700.

You can also self-report damage to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency by visiting this website.

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