Much of Biloxi 'gone'

[Praxus]

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/12508173.htm

Familiar landmarks destroyed

These reports were sent by City Editor Kate Magandy:

At DeBuys Road at U.S. 90., the Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants were obliterated.

In Biloxi at Edgewater Village, most of that shopping strip mall was devastated. The McDonald's is gone, the Village Sports Pub is gone.

The Hard Rock Casino on Casino Row in Biloxi, which was scheduled to open next week, will have to be rebuilt. The superstructure was severely damaged.

There have been reports that there are several casino barges that were pulled out of water and onto land.

Elvis Gates, a State Farm insurance agent in Long Beach, went to downtown to survey damage. He found nothing left. ``Everything south of Second Street is gone. The harbor is gone.''

St. Thomas the Apostlic Catholic Church, which sits on U.S. 90, celebrated its 100th anniversary in August. It is now gone.

When Camille hit in 1969, Long Beach residents were able to hold Mass in St. Thomas School gym. There is nothing left of that but the superstructure.

First Baptist Chruch in Long Beach has been leveled. Other reports indicate that everything south of the tracks received catastrophic damage. Part of U.S. 90 collapsed in front of Edgewater Village.

[dixiebreeze]

I am so very sad to read this. I love Biloxi and all of Mississippi. My heart cries for those folks and for the historic landmarks that are surely lost.

[Brent]

That is sad... I went to Biloxi a few years back and can remember a lot of those places.



I think officials may not find anyone alive down there... and I'm serious.

[dixiebreeze]

That is sad... I went to Biloxi a few years back and can remember a lot of those places.



I think officials may not find anyone alive down there... and I'm serious.

I just wish there was something I could do. Such a horrible, helpless feeling.

[Mello1]

That is sad... I went to Biloxi a few years back and can remember a lot of those places.



I think officials may not find anyone alive down there... and I'm serious.

Damn. I feared this. Sounds like Camille all over again.

[Scorpion]

I seriously think 500 people will be dead in the Mississippi coast, maybe more. I mean it got OBLITERATED.

[BReb]

And Biloxi was 35-40 miles east of where the east eyewall hit. Gulfport, a city of 70,000, was closer to the eye wall, and Hancock County (including Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian and Waveland) was hit by the eye wall itself. Mississippi no longer has a developed Gulf Coast- Katrina just wiped the whole thing off the map from Pass Christian all the way over to Pascagoula. Just gone.

This will destroy our state's economy, by the way- our state relies heavily on the taxes from the casinos on the coast and so much business on the coast depends on the casinos. And we were the poorest state in the country to begin with. I suppose the construction industry will at least provide some jobs in coming years.

Seems like God just doesn't like us too much- took the coast decades to get over Camille and now this.

[Brent]

If the 30 feet of water(and maybe more) is true... and based on the reports, I think it is, no one would have survived in the immediate coastline... and maybe even farther up

While we're thinking about Biloxi... they were NOT in the worst of it. Does anyone think there's a town called Bay St. Louis or Pass Christian still existing?

[simplykristi]

I am just heartsick for the people along LA/MS/AL coasts.

Kristi

[Persepone]

Has Frank P checked in? He had the brand new hurricane shutters on his house "on the beach" in Biloxi. (See Preparation Forum)

Any anyone heard from him?

[Scorpion]

I hope he didn't ride it out.

[deltadog03]

WOW

[Stephanie]

A lady that lived in Ocean Springs is reporting right now on CNN has said that her apartment building and homes that are on the beach ARE GONE!!!! She was staying at a Comfort Inn and has lived in Biloxi all her life and lived through Camille when she was 9.

[Stratosphere747]

If the 30 feet of water(and maybe more) is true... and based on the reports, I think it is, no one would have survived in the immediate coastline... and maybe even farther up

While we're thinking about Biloxi... they were NOT in the worst of it. Does anyone think there's a town called Bay St. Louis or Pass Christian still existing?

This is what is ticking me off about the media coverage. Not that we should negate the impact to New Orleans, Biloxi and Gulfport and some of the other large cities. But hardly anything is being said about BSL and PC, or the Parishes of La that took the initial landfall.

Some is due to the fact that there is almost no chance to get any sort of communication. But the doomsday scenario that we all feared for NO may in fact have happened to some of these other cities.

Katrina could easily go down as the most destructive hurricane to EVER hit the United States.

Scott

[GalvestonDuck]

Has Frank P checked in? He had the brand new hurricane shutters on his house "on the beach" in Biloxi. (See Preparation Forum)

Any anyone heard from him?

The search function isn't working, but let me scan around. I thought he posted earlier today (noonish?).

[Mello1]

Heartbreaking story from Suzanne Rodgers in Biloxi on CNN right now who rode out the storm at a hotel away from the coast and went back to find her apartment GONE. She said all structures that survived Camille are GONE. She said all she could find of her apartment is one of her shoes. She said it's all gone. She was a survivor of Camille at 9 years old where the water came up to her neck and she nearly drowned then.

I also lost it watching that Paula Zahn interview. Very sad in Biloxi right now.

[simplykristi]

A lady that lived in Ocean Springs is reporting right now on CNN has said that her apartment building and homes that are on the beach ARE GONE!!!! She was staying at a Comfort Inn and has lived in Biloxi all her life and lived through Camille when she was 9.

I saw that interview on CNN too, Stephanie. My heart goes out to her and everyone who has lost everything.

Kristi

[Brent]

This is what is ticking me off about the media coverage. Not that we should negate the impact to New Orleans, Biloxi and Gulfport and some of the other large cities. But hardly anything is being said about BSL and PC, or the Parishes of La that took the initial landfall.

I think the reason is there's nothing to report... we know it's devastated but there's no pictures, no video, no "survivors" to talk to... nothing. The reality is gonna hit tomorrow when the helicopters get in the air...

[jaxfladude]

and and hope for all affected!

[Brent]

Has Frank P checked in? He had the brand new hurricane shutters on his house "on the beach" in Biloxi. (See Preparation Forum)

Any anyone heard from him?

The search function isn't working, but let me scan around. I thought he posted earlier today (noonish?).

He said he was riding it out... which if true, I doubt he posted. There's no power...