 Prior to Ethel 's arrival , adequate warning allowed roughly 12 @,@ 000 residents along the Mississippi coastline to evacuate to shelters , set up at churches and schools . Along a 200 miles ( 320 km ) stretch of the Gulf Coastline , all fishing villages fully evacuated to safer places . In Louisiana , at least 2 @,@ 000 people had been evacuated from Grand Isle . Other towns were placed under emergency evacuations where Coast Guard boats were used to move residents to safer areas . Military aircraft were also moved from Keesler Air Force Base to other airfields across the country . Numerous schools and businesses were closed on September 15 in fears of a worst @-@ case scenario , a storm with 160 mph ( 260 km / h ) winds passing directly over Mobile , Alabama , a city of roughly 150 @,@ 000 people . In Florida , the National Weather Bureau stated that preparations were not being undertaken fast enough nor as extensive as warranted . According to the Red Cross , 48 @,@ 000 people in the threatened region sought refuge in shelters ; civil defense stated that 65 @,@ 000 residents moved to shelters . 
