Native Tulsan In Biloxi Hunkers Down As Isaac Blows Through

Those in Mississippi are feeling the effects of now tropical storm Isaac. More than a foot of rain has come down on the city.

One Tulsan is hunkering down in Biloxi as Isaac pounds through.

Growing up in Oklahoma means you're no stranger to tornados or floods.

Hurricanes, however, are a whole new ball game.

Hurricane Isaac is dumping massive amounts of water along portions of the Gulf Coast.

8/29/2012 Related Story: Oklahomans Riding Out Hurricane Isaac

It's a brand new experience for native Tulsan Matthew Hames.

"It's real eerie to see places that you drive around during the day underwater," Hames said. "It's been pretty windy. The rain will blow sideways."

Hames is in Biloxi.

Two tornados have been reported very close to the area.

"Being from Oklahoma, I've been around tornados, but the ones down here are different," Hames said. "I haven't heard any thunder at all. There's been no thunder, no thunder, lightning, as far as I can see. The wind gets stronger and the rain gets heavier."

News On 6 Meteorologist Mike Grogan explains why.

"They're essentially tornados, just like we'd see here. I mean tornados are tornados, however they do occur in slightly different storms," Grogan said. "There isn't much lightning in a tropical storm, for example. They're also very rain wrapped and they may be brief, but they still can be very potent."

Grogan says one of the big issues with the hurricane is it's moving very slowly.

"It's allowing the water to pile up. It's also creating extremely heavy rainfall in the same area. It's really becoming a big flooding issue for a lot of these areas like Biloxi," Grogan said.

Hames lives about a quarter of a mile from the coast.

As Isaac slowly approached, Hames decided it was best to take cover at a friend's house in northern Biloxi.

"I'm going to have to wait until I get back to my place to see how things are around there. I guess that's the worst part, just the unknown at this point," Hames said.

Hames said he was able to get a few things out of his apartment before he left, but he said he hasn't gotten much sleep in the last 24 hours. He's been glued to the TV, trying to figure out when it'll be safe to see if his apartment is still standing.