Emergency crews rescue people in Miss.

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WALA) - As furious winds and pounding waves slam the Mississippi coast, low lying areas throughout Hancock County have been feeling Isaac's wrath since August 28.

Emergency personnel have been fighting through the conditions to rescue many coastal Mississippi residents who decided to ride it out.

Joey Amann and his family and friends watched the storm roll in from their home.

"It was scary. I mean, I've never seen the water raise this fast on this road and I've been here all my life. It just came out of nowhere," said Amman.

Officials issued a mandatory evacuation on August 27, but Amann said he thought they were prepared for the worst.

"You know, we just figured we'd be safer in numbers. Since our house is eight feet off the ground, we figured we'd be safer there but the water just kept coming," Amman said.

But rescuers came coming too, finding the group and taking them out on boats.

Amann said before the rescuers arrived, they were prepared to try and get out on his boat.

"We were about to load up on it and hope for the best. Luckily, the rescuers showed up and here we are now," said Amann.

Emergency personnel said there are still numerous people stuck in their homes with no other way of evacuating.

Amann said he lost his home when Hurricane Katrina hit seven years ago.

"Thirty-six years I've lived here, and it's just devastating. Seven years ago, we were going through the same thing. No one thought it would be this bad, but it's worse than we anticipated," Amann said.

Officials say more than 160 people were evacuated from low lying areas before Hurricane Isaac even hit.