Just 10 days after Hurricane Katrina lashed South Mississippi, crumbling thousands of homes and lives, the airport opened for commercial flights Thursday.
“You can now access the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We are back,” airport assistant director Ken Spirito said with pride.
Meera Pal, SUN HERALD
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Nothing illustrates the power of Hurricane Katrina better than a giant [blue] concrete and steel casino barge marooned on the inland side of a wide beachfront road, hundreds of metres from where it used to be moored.
The barge, part of the Grand Casino in Gulfport, Mississippi, was tossed ashore by Katrina’s 25ft storm surge as if it was no heavier than a bath toy. Wrecked slot machines and arcade games are piled up outside the vessel.
Mike Van Grinsven worked as a bartender at the Beau Rivage before the storm. His house in East Biloxi was taken by the surge that put water in two floors of his place of employment.
“There were goats hanging in the trees near my house,” he said. Van Grinsven lamented that he lost a new $3,500 Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty and all his other guitars to Katrina.
Michael Newsom, SUN HERALD
“I’ve heard, although I need to explore it further, there is a need for addressing some of the mental health individuals that have affected lots of individuals,” Cheney said. “I’m not an expert in that area by any means, but it’s an issue that I will look at that needs to be addressed. Obviously, it’s a traumatic experience.”
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When asked what it was like meeting the Vice President, Meier responded “I don’t remember what he said. I haven’t slept much since the hurricane hit.”Tom Wilemon, SUN HERALD
“Right now we’re just assessing damage to our projects and finding what needs to be built back while the roads are cleared, while the building companies — the Bailey’s Lumber and the Home Depots — get back.”
Story By Pete Tattersall, SUN HERALD
Most of the sludge from the Aug. 29 hurricane had dried to dust by the time Cheney arrived in Gulfport, but he saw piles of debris, fallen tree limbs and concrete slabs where nice homes and immaculate lawns once stood.
By Natalie Pompilio, Susannah A. Nesmith and Martin Merzer Knight Rider Newspapers
“The whole area just looks like it was taken and put in a washing machine,” said Steve Swartz of Springville, an Alabama Power Co. employee helping to dry out the Gulfport Mississippi Power office. “I came here Monday, and it does look 10 times better than what it did then.
Laura McAlister, Selma Times Journal
I am awed by the distructive power of water and wind. I’ve survived a lot of hurricanes in my 55 years but this one leaves me speachless.
Having just returned from relief work in Gulfport.
I was numbed by the destruction that I saw. We were allowed to go into the “war zone” and no words can describe what I witnessed. My prayer are with the citizens of what I sure is your beautiful city. I promise to come back.
well i’ved lived in gulfport mississippi and when hurricane hit the gulfport coast line i lived aacross the beach in some apts the name was WatersEdge 3 i saw pictures but if anyone has some pictures where my apt complex used to be email me at divine_issues@yahoo.com ,,, its a shame too say we lost everything we had its was a shame gulfport was my home i loved living there i loved the beach view…
It is amazing how just last summer I was in Louisiana and now it is gone!
WE WERE JUST THERE IN MAY ON VACATION. WE LOVE THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST AND WILL BE BACK.
I feel terrible for the people who have lost their homes because of this storm and I wish I could help them money wise, but I’m only 14 years old. But I have done some fund raising and I hope the money that we raised will help the people who were affected by Hurricand Katrina. My family always travel to Gulfport, MS on vacation, but the storm tore down the Chateau and everything else so we wont be able to go there this summer. I really hope everyone recovers and Mississippi is rebuilt so that my family and everyone else is happy and safe. Thanks.
O diabo e o melhor
I went and visited with my father down there recently. I had no idea on how it was going to be until I got there. There are no words to describe what I had seen. Nobody living outside of where the hurricane hit has any idea of what these people went through or are going through. I wish I could snap my fingers and help all of you. I met two great women in Waveland, MS and I will never forget them. They are strong women who came back to there homes with nothing left. They opened up a shop and are trying to make a living. God bless them and everyone devastated from hurricane Katrina.
How do I find someone who I feel is missing or dead. is there list of dead or missing please?
I visit the gulfcoast at least 4 times out of the year. I have recently gone this past March of 2006 to view the damage. Even though there is really nothing on the gulf coast, I still stayed the weekend on Hwy. 49. I was stunned by the damages wind and rain can do. I live in Metairie, La (the outskirts of New Orleans). When I go out of town and people ask me where I am from. I USED to say New Orleans, because not too many people know where Metairie is. Now, after what has happened after the storm with all the violence and our Texas visitors, I do not claim New Orleans, I just say I am from out of town or I explain where Metairie is. The people in New Orleans think they have gotten it bad. Yes they did, but they have not actually taken a ride to the gulf coast and seen it for themselves. The people in New Orleans still have a house, where as the gulf coast basically does not exist. I wish ya’ll luck in the rebuilding. I will be back to the gulf coast for the annual “Cruzin the Coast”.
I AM FROM THE GULF COAST . BORN IN BILOXI AT KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE AND I WAS RAISED IN GAUTIER AND VANCLEAVE. EVEN THOUGH I NOW LIVE IN NORTH MOBILE COUNTY IN ALABAMA I STILL HAVE ALL MY FAMILY AND FREINDS THAT LIVE ON THE COAST. I WENT HOME TO THE COAST ABOUT 4 DAYS AFTER THE STORM AND ALL I COULD DO WAS SIT AND CRY . IT JUST BROKE MY HEART AT HOW BAD KATRINA TORE UP THE COAST, BUT I KNOW IN MY HEART WE WILL REBUILD AND BE BETTER AND STRONGER IN THE YEARS TO COME. BUT IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME ONLY IN MY MEMORIES AND PICTURES…GOD BLESS US ALL….
Regarding dead and missing persons. There was a list of dead and missing persons but I can’t seem to find it now. For the Mississippi Gulf Coast you may want to check out http://forums.sunherald.com/kr-biloxkatrina/start and under the topic “Reach Loved Ones” and you may want to post a message to that forum. Regarding pictures, there are many very good aftermath pictures and Katrina information on the site http://www.photosfromkatrina.com/
Hurricane Katrina was the most devestating storm I’ve seen since I lived in Ocean Springs. When I went back home over the summer I was devastated to see all the things I used to know so well gone. I went to visit my father who is baried at Keesler Air Force Base, and hadn’t any clue how to get there from Hwy. 90 because everything was gone. I give best wishes and hopes to all my fellow Mississippians who were also devestated by the storm. God Bless
I LOVE THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST, I ALWAYS CONSIDERED IT MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME. LET ME FIRST SAY THAT MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE STRONG, FRIENDLY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THAT AREA. I AM WONDERING IF ANYONE CAN TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO OWNED CAPTAIN ED’S COTTAGES, ON TEAGARDEN RD., IN GULFPORT MISSISSIPPI. ANY INFO WOULD BE GREATLY APPREICATED. AGAIN, BLESS YOU ALL. LORI
YOOOOOOOOO IT WAS HORRIBLE. I WAS LITERALLY THERE , I WAS SCARED OUT OF MY MIND I REALLY WISH I WAS BACK DOWN THOUGH BUT IM N GEORGIA NOW . I GUESS
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