The only really good news I have about the hurricane is that my mother made it through okay by going to east Mobile with some friends. Hopefully, her house back in Biloxi is still standing with minimal damage.
The photo of this McDonald’s is haunting. This picture was taken at the south end of Edgewater Mall. Directly in front of the McDonald’s is a frontage road, then Highway 90, and the beach. Given the reported depth of the storm sturge and the location of the restaurant, I suspect that at one point the entire building was completely submerged. Many of the stores nearby are obliterated or severely damaged.
While I find gambling really boring, I think the casinos that were built in Biloxi over the last 10-15 years were a huge boost to the economy. Sadly, it’s questionable whether some of them will survive. The Hard Rock Casino that was supposed to open next week was nearly destroyed and will need to be rebuilt almost from the ground up. My mother said she heard that the pirate ship next to the Treasure Bay Casino was flooded, started to sink, and then was driven up on to the beach. Waves reached the second story of a few of the casinos, and reportedly the third story of at least one.
I lived in Biloxi during several major hurricanes, but I don’t remember the water damage ever being anywhere near this severe. I was way too young to remember Camille, but the photos that I have seen never including images of flooding like I have seen online today.
The Biloxi Sun-Herald put together a blog quickly that has been a pretty good source of information. The main Sun-Herald site is now mostly caught up with the news that is available. In a way, I’m glad I didn’t know about the blog this morning, as I would have gotten almost no work done.
Any news of Ocean Springs? Desparate for information.
You know, I don’t think I’ve seen a single mention of Ocean Springs. Hopefully, that’s a good thing and it at least was mostly spared. The news out of Hancock county has been particularly sparse. I saw one photo of some severe flooding in Pascagoula, but that’s about it.
One piece I saw on CNN talked about Ocean Springs…
Decent story at: http://www.gulflive.com/
Wednesday’s edition is downloadable as a PDF document. Has pictures but no assessment in detail. For example, an elementary school is totally destroyed but the HS is being used as a staging base to distribute ice, water and food. Hope you find the information you are seeking.
I moved to Houston in Dec and most of family is in Ocean Springs. They are the Andersons that own Shearwater Pottery. Have heard some info indirectly. Shearwater Pottey and all homes on the property were destroyed. Apartments on Front beach destoyed, east beach destroyed, homes in windsor park destroyed, somehow gulf park estates was spared for the most part. I have heard of no deaths. Severe damage everywhere the water reached but obviously not as much as Biloxi/Gulfport. Will post more when I start to receive phone calls. Two of my brothers are on the way tomorrow, should here more then if they are able to call out. I cannot phone anyone at this point. The Sun Herald web site has a couple of photos of OS
Go to this website and view second copter tour – it’s over Ocean Springs:
http://www.wlbt.com/
I used to work at GCRL – looks totally destroyed, also heard from a friend that Fisheries Lab in Pascaguola is a total loss.
I have friends that live on Hellmers Lane – very end of it, that’s the street adjacent to Ocean Springs marina – anyone knows how houses faired there? They are a polish couple, he is a physician – Janus Kulpa.
The video I mentioned – camera turns away just before their house.
Mike, I’m really sorry to hear about Shearwater Pottery. The name sounds very familiar. My mother has become a big pottery fan over the past few years, no doubt in part due to being able to see up close the works of George Orr. When I was in Biloxi last year, she took me shopping at several places in Ocean Springs.
Mike and Lidia, if I hear more about OS from my friends, I will post here.
From the few reports I read, it sounds like Ocean Springs did not fare so well. I’m very worried about an old friend who lives there. Her name is Stephanie Beaugez. Please leave a message on this website if anyone knows anything about her whereabouts.
I just posted an entry with a long list of Katrina missing person and survivor registries. I checked a few of them for Stephanie Beaugez while I was putting together this list, but I’m afraid I didn’t find out any information about her at the ones I checked.
Maybe I should have also posted the link.
Many of you who are concerned about OS, have by now heard of devastating damage to coastal properties. Some of you are aware the the Gulf Coast Research Lab (GCRL) took extensive damage. The Website (http://www.snookfoundation.org/GCRL_After_Katrina.htm) has some images taken 2 days after the storm. Relief efforts by the scientific community are moving along, but it will be >1 year before the lab is up and running again.
🙂 PAt