Down But Not Out From Hurricane Katrina

I started to see signs of damage as I drove from Mobile to Biloxi on Saturday. There were roofs with blue tarps on them and billboards that were naked, but I was not prepared for what I saw when I came over the I-110 bridge into Biloxi and started to see the number of houses that were literally blown away.

Leland Speed, head of the Mississippi Development Authority told me, “We have lost 71,000 homes. In a normal year, we only build 1500/year. How are we going to be able to get housing for so many people?” My guess is that the building crane is going to be the new official bird of the Gulf Coast.

He also told me of their challenges with FEMA, which is setting new flood standards for Federal Flood Insurance. Initially they wanted to set it at over 27 feet high, which would have made many areas economically unbuildable, especially for people of moderate means. Based on several conversations with FEMA and others, I’m guessing that the new maps will be 5 to 8 feet above current maps. It will add to costs and change building plans, but is probably a workable plan.

Susan Lunardini, President of Southern Consultants a Civil Engineering firm and a true Mississippi Lady offered to take me for a tour of the area, which I eagerly accepted. She has lived in MS all her life and has spent a lot of time in the area and offered me a unique local flavor on our tour. She even showed me where Elvis Presley used to water-ski in Ocean Springs when he was starting to achieve fame.

She told me, “Some of the storm surges were 30 feet above sea level.” That is as high as a football goal post! We saw a great number of American flags flying, as a sign of hope on the rebuilding process.

“The Gulf Coast is a world unto itself in Mississippi, but it is beloved by all in the state.” The devastation was incredible, but the spirit of Susan, Leland and everyone I talked to in Mississippi was up-beat about the future. Heck, by the end of the tour, even the live oaks that had been battered by the storm, seemed to have gotten greener.