Since the evacuation was not total, many people survived the 30-foot (9 m) storm tide by climbing into the second-floor attic, or knocking out walls and ceiling boards to climb onto the roof or nearby trees [REF].
Although the population of the three (3) coastal counties had been nearly 400,000, and the storm tide was 20-30 feet (9 m) with coastal winds 75-120 mph (120-192 km/h), fewer than 250 people died in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina.