Hancock County Hurricane Isaias Temporary Housing: An RV on Your Own Lot

    By Michael Wojciak, founder, Agile RV Housing

    Updated October 7, 2026: The National Hurricane Center's Hurricane Watch begins at Bay St. Louis and runs east to Indian Pass, Florida, and NHC forecasts 3 to 5 feet of storm surge from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs, a stretch that includes the Hancock County shoreline (NHC Advisory 4).

    Agile RV Housing places a fully set up RV on your own lot in Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Diamondhead, Kiln, or anywhere in Hancock County when storm damage leaves your home unlivable. It is for homeowners with homeowners insurance. Loss of Use (Coverage D, also called Additional Living Expense) often pays for it once your adjuster approves it, and we work with your adjuster.

    Delivery is about four days from approval to move-in. The main variable is scheduling the electrical contractor. The rate is $120 to $140 a night, tax included, and our rate has not changed for the storm. Delivery and setup are priced separately for each property. We serve all of Hancock County and all 48 contiguous states.

    Call (614) 655-4286

    Isaias and Hancock County. At the 10:00 a.m. CDT advisory on October 7, Tropical Storm Isaias had 45 mph winds. The National Hurricane Center forecasts a strong hurricane, with winds near 105 to 110 mph, reaching the northern Gulf Coast Friday afternoon, October 9. Hancock County sits at the west end of the Hurricane Watch, and the Storm Surge Watch covers the whole Mississippi coast. Coastwide updates are on our Hurricane Isaias temporary housing page.

    Can you live in a camper in Mississippi while your house is repaired?

    In Hancock County, Mississippi, the answer depends on which local government covers your address, because Diamondhead, Waveland, Bay St. Louis, and unincorporated Hancock County (including Kiln) each write their own rules.

    Two Hancock County cities have a written path.

    Waveland's zoning ordinance has a Temporary Conditional Use permit for living in an RV while a home is built, for up to 180 days with one 180-day renewal. Diamondhead approved campers on the lots of storm-damaged homes by resolution six days after Hurricane Zeta made landfall in 2020.

    Agile RV Housing confirms the rules for your exact address before anything is delivered, and the free zoning check is the fastest way to start.

    Diamondhead

    Diamondhead has done this before. On November 3, 2020, six days after Hurricane Zeta made landfall on October 28, the city adopted Resolution 2020-080, which allowed camper trailers on residential lots where the home was damaged by Zeta. The terms were:

    • A no-charge building permit, issued for tracking.
    • Up to 6 months from the permit date, or until the repaired home passed final inspection, with one extension of up to 3 months on written request.
    • Occupied by the immediate family living in the house when the storm hit.
    • Connected to water, sewer, and temporary power.
    • Towable on public streets with a current license plate.

    Agile RV Housing tracks whether Diamondhead adopts a similar resolution after Isaias.

    Waveland

    Waveland's zoning ordinance, Sec. 409.5, sets up a Temporary Conditional Use permit for an RV in connection with building a home. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approves it after review by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The main conditions:

    • A valid building permit for the home.
    • Up to 180 days, with one application for an additional 180 days.
    • One RV per location, occupied only by the property owners.
    • An evacuation plan for the RV if a named storm enters the Gulf or an evacuation is ordered.
    • Proof the RV is road legal, has quick disconnect utilities, and meets Waveland's flood damage prevention ordinance.

    We confirm how Waveland applies this permit to a storm repair at your address and put the paperwork together with you.

    Bay St. Louis, Kiln, and unincorporated Hancock County

    Rules for an RV on your own lot differ by city and county in Hancock County. Some require a permit, and some approve temporary housing through emergency orders after a major storm, the way Diamondhead did after Zeta. Permits in unincorporated Hancock County, which includes Kiln, go through Hancock County Planning and Zoning on Highway 90 in Bay St. Louis.

    Agile RV Housing confirms the rules for your exact address in Bay St. Louis, Kiln, or anywhere else in Hancock County before anything is delivered. Run the free zoning check or call (614) 655-4286, and we will tell you what applies.

    Flood zone rules in Diamondhead and Waveland

    Hancock County cities set different time limits for an RV in a FEMA flood zone. In Diamondhead, Sec. 14-106 says an RV must be on site fewer than 60 consecutive days or be fully licensed and ready for highway use. In Waveland, Sec. 18-87 sets that limit at fewer than 180 consecutive days.

    Ready for highway use means licensed and insured, on its wheels or jacking system, attached only by quick disconnect utilities, with no permanent additions. The federal rule follows the same pattern (44 CFR 60.3(c)(14)). Agile RV Housing looks up your flood zone and plans the placement around it.

    Long-term RV rental in Bay St. Louis, delivered to your lot

    Agile RV Housing's long-term RV rental in Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Diamondhead, and Kiln is housing for a homeowner whose house is being repaired, set up on that homeowner's own lot and usually paid by Loss of Use once the adjuster approves it. The rate is $120 to $140 a night, tax included. Delivery and setup are priced separately.

    Stays run 60 days or longer, then month to month with no maximum. Most families stay about five months. Each unit has a kitchen and separate sleeping space, and pets are welcome. Your kids keep their school, and you are home when the adjuster and contractors arrive. See what RV housing costs.

    How far does Loss of Use go in an RV compared with a hotel?

    An RV on your own lot draws substantially less against your Loss of Use limit than an extended hotel stay for a Hancock County family. An Agile RV Housing unit at the top of our $120 to $140 nightly range, tax included, sleeps a family of up to five.

    The same family in hotels needs two rooms, and two rooms at typical ALE-approved rates cost more than $140 a night before meals, pet fees, and laundry. The RV also has its own kitchen, so the family cooks at home. Over a repair that runs several months, that difference decides how far your Loss of Use limit stretches. Our ALE coverage guide explains how the limit is set.

    Temporary power pole for an RV in Hancock County

    A licensed electrical contractor installs the power for every Agile RV Housing unit in Hancock County, and we arrange the contractor. If the house has lost its utility power, the electrician and your electric utility coordinate a temporary power pole for the RV. Agile RV Housing sets up the water and sewer hookup.

    Local rules expect real hookups. Diamondhead's 2020 resolution required campers to be connected to water, sewer, and temporary power, and the power pole had to come out when the work was done. Waveland's RV permit asks for proof of quick disconnect to city utilities. Scheduling the electrician is the main variable in delivery, which is about four days from approval to move-in. See RV utility setup.

    Does homeowners insurance or MWUA cover temporary housing in Mississippi?

    A homeowners policy that covers wind often pays Loss of Use when wind damage makes a Hancock County home unlivable, and an RV on your own lot can be that housing once your adjuster approves it.

    Many coastal Hancock County homes carry wind coverage through the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association (MWUA). MWUA's own documents describe additional living expense coverage for a primary residence when a covered loss makes the property unlivable (MWUA FAQ). Confirm that coverage on your declarations page.

    Mississippi has its own deductible rule. 19 Miss. Code R. 1-41.14 takes the hurricane deductible from "the total of the loss for all Section I Property Coverages," and Loss of Use is a Section I coverage. Ask your adjuster which policy carries your wind coverage and what your Loss of Use limit is.

    Does flood insurance cover additional living expenses?

    No, not on a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy. Section V.A.5 of the standard NFIP policy excludes additional living expenses incurred while the building "is unable to be occupied for any reason" (44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A(1)).

    With surge and hurricane winds both forecast for Hancock County, one house can carry a flood claim and a wind claim. The adjuster decides what each policy pays, and the wind side can still trigger Loss of Use under your homeowners or MWUA policy.

    FEMA cannot pay for needs that insurance covers (FEMA), so insured Hancock County homeowners arrange temporary housing through their insurer. If your flood policy is private, check its declarations page for living expenses. More in our flood insurance and temporary housing guide.

    How do you get temporary housing for an insurance claim near Bay St. Louis?

    Tell your adjuster you want an RV on your own property as your Loss of Use housing, and ask for the approval in writing. An RV on your own lot is commonly approved as ALE housing even when it is not the first option offered, so ask for it by name.

    You choose who provides your temporary housing. Your insurer or its housing agency may suggest a provider, and the choice stays yours. Your insurer may route housing through a temporary housing agency. In that case, ask your housing specialist for Agile RV Housing. We are a preferred vendor with the national temporary housing agencies, including ALE Solutions, Alacrity, Sedgwick, CRS, and National Corporate Housing, and we work with all of them. You can also call us directly at (614) 655-4286, and we coordinate with your adjuster or agency from there.

    How we have done this

    Agile RV Housing has completed over 100 long-term placements in the last two years, and founder Michael Wojciak has 10 years in RV rental and fleet operations. Agile is a preferred vendor with the national temporary housing agencies.

    For a Hancock County home, that experience goes into the parts that take the most care: the Waveland or Diamondhead permit, the flood zone time limit, and hookups to water, sewer, and a temporary power pole, all set before your family moves in.

    Call (614) 655-4286. Tell us your address and who insures you. We will check the Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Diamondhead, or county rules for your lot and tell you what your adjuster needs from us. Or start with the free zoning check.

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    Frequently asked questions

    Did Diamondhead allow campers on damaged home lots after a past hurricane?

    Yes. Diamondhead adopted Resolution 2020-080 on November 3, 2020, six days after Hurricane Zeta made landfall. It allowed camper trailers on residential lots of homes damaged by Zeta, with a no-charge permit, for up to 6 months plus one 3-month extension, connected to water, sewer, and temporary power.

    Does Waveland have a permit for living in an RV on my lot?

    Waveland's zoning ordinance, Sec. 409.5, has a Temporary Conditional Use permit for an RV in connection with building a home. It needs a valid building permit, runs up to 180 days with one 180-day renewal, allows one owner-occupied RV, and asks for an evacuation plan for named storms.

    I live in Bay St. Louis or Kiln. Can I get an RV on my lot?

    Rules for an RV on your own lot differ by city and county in Hancock County. Some require a permit, and some approve temporary housing through emergency orders after a major storm. Agile RV Housing confirms the rules for your exact Bay St. Louis or Kiln address before anything is delivered.

    Does MWUA pay additional living expenses after a hurricane?

    The Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association's own documents describe additional living expense coverage for a primary residence when a covered loss makes the property unlivable. Confirm the coverage on your declarations page, then ask your adjuster to approve an RV on your Hancock County lot as that housing.

    Is the Mississippi hurricane deductible charged separately on my housing costs?

    No. Mississippi regulation 19 Miss. Code R. 1-41.14 takes the hurricane deductible from the total of the loss for all Section I property coverages, and Loss of Use is one of those coverages, so one deductible applies across the whole Section I claim.

    Can you rent an RV for six months in Hancock County?

    Yes. Agile RV Housing's minimum stay is 60 days, then month to month with no maximum, and most families stay about five months. The rate is $120 to $140 a night, tax included, and Loss of Use often pays it once your adjuster approves it.

    Sources

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