NATCHEZ &045;&045; The president and chief operating officer of Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. is among Gulf Coast residents who sought refuge in Natchez as Hurricane Ivan began to approach landfall Wednesday.

Timothy M. Hinkley, his family and five dogs are safe from a storm he fears may devastate the Mississippi communities where he and the approximately 1,000 Isle of Capri coastal employees live.

He will return as soon as possible, &uot;as soon as they allow us,&uot; he said, to check on the Biloxi casino and his own home in Ocean Springs. But leaving the threatened area was not an option. &uot;People are taking this storm very seriously. We stayed for (Hurricane)

Georges in 1998, and we said, ‘never again.’&uot;

Preparing the casino for a hurricane began with its construction, he said. &uot;The state requires you have mooring structures that will withstand a Category 4 hurricane. We’ll certainly find out whether it did that.&uot;

Making the trip to Natchez and seeing the crowds at the Isle of Capri Natchez Hotel have made clear to him how many lives and families Hurricane Ivan has affected.

&uot;Just having driven up from the Coast, I can tell you there are so many people looking for rooms. They stop here, and then they just drive on,&uot; Hinkley said.

He has instructed the Natchez hotel workers to consider turning a small banquet room into a shelter if the need arises.

Natchez and Biloxi are two of the 16 casino properties owned by the Isle of Capri corporation in five different states.

The Natchez hotel is busier than usual for this time of the year, he said. The casino and restaurants also may have additional business because of the number of people in town. But, he said, &uot;Mostly we just have people coming here to get out of harm’s way.&uot;

Refugees are frazzled. He has heard horror stories from people who traveled the crowded highways Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

&uot;One of our senior vice presidents grew up in Ferriday,&uot; Hinkley said. &uot;He and his family left the Coast at 9 last night and got to Ferriday at 6 o’clock this morning,&uot; he said.

Hinkley said Natchez area people are responding as they should to the refugees. A Vidalia, La., woman is boarding two of his dogs. He and his family appreciate that gesture, he said.

&uot;There was a whole bunch of people who left their homes in a hurry,&uot; he said. &uot;They need help.&uot;