BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI -- Continuing my Fall 2008 Hurricane Disaster journey along the Gulf of Mexico, let me fast forward to Biloxi, Mississippi. The second most intense hurricane on record came ashore on August 17th, 1969 with a 24-28 foot storm surge and sustained winds of 190-200 mph. I’m talking about Hurricane Camille, whose name, much like that of sports legends, has been long retired.
In Biloxi, I wanted to find the Hurricane Camille Memorial, and we did, located about 150 feet from the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico a few feet from where the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer had been standing. This church was completely torn apart by Camille 39 years ago, rebuilt, and completely torn apart again three years ago by winds and flooding from Hurricane Katrina. They have now decided not to rebuild the church, and will let the church's steel beam framing stand as a sort of tribute to the church and its parishioners.
This web site shows how the church looked when it was intact before Hurricane Katrina, courtesy of Bob Pardue Photography: http://www.parduephotos.com/travel/articles/hurricane-camille.htm
The Hurricane Camille Memorial is a large, polished cement wall with the engraved names of the 143 folks who were killed there when the storm came ashore. I took a picture of the Camille Memorial and have included it in the slideshow with this story. Notice the steel frame behind the Memorial where the Church of the Redeemer once was.
There are two specific things that caught my eye in Biloxi. The first is how the land seems to blend into the Gulf of Mexico. Standing at the Memorial 150 feet from the ocean, it’s almost like an optical illusion as it seems like the water level is on the same plane as the land. I suppose this should be no surprise as the shoreline of Biloxi, like New Orleans is near sea level (downtown New Orleans is actually several feet below sea level in spots). I never really noticed this when in New Orleans, but I sure did in Biloxi.
Having seen this for myself, I can now easily understand how just a one or two foot rise in water level - or storm surge - could cause flooding down there, let alone a 15 or 20 foot surge! I have also included a photo I took at the Memorial looking towards the Gulf of Mexico. The road you see is Beach Boulevard or Highway 90, which is just south of the main drag, Interstate Route 10. Notice how the water in the Gulf and the land seems to be on the same plane?
The second thing that caught my eye and made me say “What are these people thinking?” was the housing situation. It is very built up along the shore in the Biloxi and Gulfport areas with businesses, homes and a giant casino and event center, and I mean right on the water, daring Mother Nature to bring on another tropical system. They are still rebuilding after Katrina. I was amazed to see that at least a few homes being rebuilt, right on the water, were being rebuilt WITHOUT any additional foundation or stilt work ie… the living level, the first floor sitting right on the ground at near sea level just one or two hundred feet away from the Gulf of Mexico! At least on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, most of the homes are built on stilts putting the first floor, the living level some 10-15 feet above the ground so if the ocean comes ashore, the water can flow freely beneath the home instead of inside the home, at least to a point. Not seeing this in Biloxi, I ask myself, “What are these people thinking?” A mere one or two foot rise in the water level (storm surge) will push that water right up to their front door, and likely inside their home. Obviously this has happened several times in the past. Why would they rebuild like this? A darn good question that I have no real answer to. Do they enjoy their homes being washed away and then rebuilding? I just don’t know.
Here is a web site and live web cam you might be interested in checking out, courtesy of the WLOX-TV site: http://www.wlox.com/global/Category.asp?c=22529
Here are some excellent black and white, before and after photos of Biloxi, Mississippi back in the late 60s before and after Hurricane Camille: http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/about_us/meet_us/roger_pielke/camille/gallery.html
This could be the absolute best Hurricane Camille web site. Check this out: http://www.geocities.com/hurricanene/hurricanecamille.htm
After an hour or so in Biloxi, we continued our trek east riding coastal Route 90 on the water to where it meets back up with Route 10, passing through Pascagoula, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and heading towards Fort Walton Beach and Destin, Florida. This is where I will pick up my story next time. Please be sure to check back, and I’d love to hear any comments you may have, particularly if you have lived or visited the deep south.
