First responders evacuate 100 Silver Slipper Casino employees stuck during Cristobal

Justin Mitchell
·1 min read

First responders in Hancock County used a high-water vehicle to evacuate about 100 Silver Slipper Casino employees stuck at work after flooding from Tropical Storm Cristobal blocked the roadway.

Duane Wray, fire chief for the Clermont Harbor Volunteer Fire Department, said crews spent more than 3 hours taking employees from the casino entrance to the employee parking lot at Lakeshore Road and Lower Bay Road.

Crews made several trips, trekking through about 5 feet of water, to get the employees safely to their vehicles, Wray said.

“They can’t get out of there because of the floodwaters,” Hancock County emergency manager Brian “Hootie” Adam said. “Waters are pretty high down there.”

The evacuations took place between 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., but firefighters are going back Sunday night to pick up a family staying at the casino’s hotel.

“A couple and child wants to be removed,” Wray said.

Employees posted about being stuck at work on Facebook.

After the first set of evacuations, Clermont Harbor VFD assisted Bayside Fire in three evacuations off Harbor Drive in the Bayou Phillips community.

Wray said the area is still under 4 or 5 feet of water.

  • A family of six was rescued off Second Street.

  • A couple was rescued off Gull Street.

  • A couple was rescued off Apricot Street.

The rescued families will be picked up at the Bayou Phillips Community Center.