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. Before the storm weakened rapidly, people feared a large storm surge over much of southeastern Louisiana. Preparing for the storm induced stress, which in one person contributed a fatal heart attack. In Louisiana, a compact, rapidly weakening Hurricane Ethel brought significant wind and rain primarily east and southeast of New Orleans. However, the storm caused a maximum surge of only . Although Ethel weakened significantly, the hurricane still lashed far southeastern Louisiana. At the United States Coast Guard station in Quarantine in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, sustained winds reached . A weather station in Venice reported a sustained wind speed of and gusts to . Rainfall totals included at Quarantine, at Hopedale, at Buras, at Burrwood, and at Port Sulfur. Hurricane Ethel caused substantial beach erosion throughout the barrier islands of Mississippi but brought a relatively small storm surge of along the populated coastline. Roughly of the east end of Horn Island (Mississippi) was lost. The storm also split Ship Island into two islands, east and west Ship Islands. However, few knew of this split until Hurricane Camille in 1969 Atlantic hurricane season substantially widened the split. The sustained wind reached a maximum of in Biloxi, Mississippi. Throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast, winds reached gusts approached . In Pascagoula, Mississippi, broken glass, fallen trees and signs covered the streets. Several areas were also flooded and power was lost in area where power lines were downed by high winds. Following the storm, Governor of Mississippi Ross Barnett ordered 100 Mississippi National Guard to Pascagoula and requested other troops in other areas. High winds also affected Alabama, reaching and gusts of at Fort Morgan (Alabama). Slight damage to beach cottages occurred in Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores and along Mobile Bay. Minor crop losses were reported in Clarke, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington counties. An F2 tornado also injured two people in the town of Mignon. Hurricane Ethel also brought heavy rains and strong winds to much of the Florida Panhandle. A maximum of of rain fell at an agricultural experiment station near Milton, Florida, the highest total measured at an official station and attributed to this storm. Hurricane Donna struck Tampa, Florida, particularly hard earlier in the month, causing major flooding of Hillsborough River (Florida) at Zephyrhills, Florida on 12 September.