Hurricane warning flags flap in the breeze at Jones Park in Gulfport on Monday morning. (Photo: Tim Isbell for Mississippi Today)

Gulf Coast residents are preparing for what forecasters believe will soon be Hurricane Sally to hit Mississippi directly, bringing “life-threatening storm surge,” hurricane-force winds, and up to two feet of rainfall between now and Wednesday.

As of Monday morning, Sally is expected to make landfall in Mississippi as a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane. It will likely dump up to 25 inches of rain in parts of Mississippi, and it will likely produce tornadoes and high wind gusts. Hurricane conditions in Mississippi are expected to begin Monday night ahead of a Tuesday landfall.

During a briefing Monday morning, Gov. Tate Reeves said the projection for the path of the slow moving storm had shifted eastward, placing landfall near Biloxi in Harrison County instead of in Louisiana. Under current projections, it is expected to make landfall around 2 a.m. Wednesday and continue to move  northeast, meaning it could be exiting Mississippi quickly, but could still have major impacts on the Gulf Coast and in southeast Mississippi.

Reeves said the storm could have sustained winds of 90 miles per hour or higher and storm surges on the Coast of as much as 9 feet.

Local officials issued mandatory evacuations for parts of Hancock County on Sunday, and officials in all three counties along the Gulf Coast warned residents to plan for extended power outages and flash flooding in addition to the coastal flooding that is expected.

“While this storm has ticked to the east overnight, it is anticipated that we are going to bear the brunt of this storm,” Reeves said on Monday morning. “Be prepared for the worst-case scenario. With this storm slowing, it could get worse before it gets better.”

LATEST: Check National Hurricane Center for latest forecasts.

In Waveland on Monday morning, storm surge during high tide had already flooded parts of Beach Boulevard. Residents along the Coast on Monday began boarding up windows and placing sandbags around their property, and boaters along the Coast scrambled to remove their boats from the water to higher ground.

The storm, which is slower moving than many tropical systems, is expected to drop up to two feet of rainfall even far inland. Local officials as far north as Hattiesburg are prepping for potentially devastating flash flooding.

An electronic billboard on U. S. 90 in Gulfport displays the Hurricane Warning for Tropical Storm Sally. The storm is expected to strengthen to a potential Category 2 hurricane before making landfall.
Hurricane Sally is expected to make landfall in Mississippi on Tuesday. (Photos: Tim Isbell for Mississippi Today)
Point Cadet in Biloxi offers a front row seat to the deteriorating situation along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A potential colorful sunrise was covered by clouds from Tropical Storm — soon to be — Hurricane Sally.
As a television crew sets up in the background, a homeless man gets more sleep at the Lighthouse Pier in Biloxi. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is bracing for Tropical Storm/Hurricane Sally.
The waters along the Mississippi Gulf Coast start to get rough as Tropical Storm/Hurricane Sally gets closer Monday morning.
A morning blue sky gives way to storm clouds for Tropical Storm soon to be Hurricane Sally near Small Craft Harbor in Gulfport.
A sea gull braces for a wave to hit near Urie Pier in Gulfport. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is bracing for Hurricane Sally.
Waves begin to splash into sea wall near Urie Pier in Gulfport Monday morning. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is bracing for Tropical Storm — soon to be — Hurricane Sally. Throughout most of Monday, the situation along the Mississippi Gulf Coast will worsen. The area can expect seven to 11 feet of storm surge.
A Mississippi Gulf Coast resident ventures out to Point Cadet in Biloxi Monday morning. Residents hoped to see one more sunrise before Tropical Storm/Hurricane Sally gets closer with feeder bands arriving today. Instead, ominous skies blocked the sunrise and reminded those what was in store for the area.

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Adam Ganucheau, as Mississippi Today's editor-in-chief, oversees the newsroom and works with the editorial team to fulfill our mission of producing high-quality journalism in the public interest. Adam has covered politics and state government for Mississippi Today since February 2016. A native of Hazlehurst, Adam has worked as a staff reporter for AL.com, The Birmingham News and The Clarion-Ledger and his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Adam earned his bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Mississippi.