After few days of refuge, many Hurricane Ida evacuees are on the move

If you drive 300 hundred miles north of Louisiana, dozens of evacuees sheltering at the La Quinta Inn and Suites in Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Hurricane Ida had people fleeing their homes in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.

Now, after a few days of refuge, many of them again find themselves on the move.

Imagine waking up in a home that’s not yours.

Several evacuees are camping out in hotels across the Golden Triangle.

It’s a big weekend for Mississippi State University football, and now some folks are having to hit the road again.

Louisiana, Louisiana, and Louisiana.

If you drive 300 miles north from the landfall of Hurricane Ida, you’ll find dozens of Louisiana license plates here at the La Quinta Inn and Suites in Starkville.

” There’s no gas, no electricity, and people are having a difficult time getting gasoline to run generators,” said guest Karen Barrois.

Barrois said collapsed roofs, downed trees, and water damage is what families are facing back home in Louisiana.

Barrios checked in the hotel almost a week ago. Her family fears what’s waiting for them at home, like Frank Macera.

“We evacuated for the storm with no power, and we went to Tupelo, Mississippi. We’re trying to get closer to home. But, it doesn’t look too good for now,” said Macera.

” Without the power, it’s hard, especially on my kids. I have two sickly kids, and I didn’t want them to have to suffer through all of that. There’s no gas, no food, no ice for us around there. So I had to take my family and go,” said Mervin, a hotel guest.

La Quinta’s General Manager, Jordan Gillentine, said the phone has been ringing off the hook.

” We have heard of some devastating stories where their homes have been completely and wiped out,” said Gillentine.

But, making sure everyone has a place to sleep may be difficult on Friday.

With Mississippi State’s first home football game this Saturday, keeping a room is challenging due to rooming capacity.

“A lot of people have pre-booked their re-arrangements and their reservations from months ago. Most of the evacuees that weren’t able to be extended will leave tomorrow. We did have some room to extend a few of those guests. It filled up fast. So now, the last-minute bookings for football won’t be able to be accommodated because we don’t have room,” said Gillentine.

“We been extending our stay, so now we’re leaving on Sunday,” said

For others bound to hit the road, there’s a looming concern in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, what’s next.

” Just taking it day by day,” said Gillentine.

There should be more available rooms at the La Quinta Inn and Suites in Starkville leading into Sunday morning.