Katrina Anniversary Thread

[BayouVenteux]

As a former Mississippi coastal resident, you're not really serious are you?

Yeah, I'm really serious. But ONLY as it relates to the actual result compared to the foreboding language given in the AFD - which is why my post is directly and solely related to that document, quote for quote. I'm not blaming anyone for anything - especially not the N.O. NWS. Agreeably, the bulletin came out at 11am, and at that time things surely looked different. My point - with no malaise or contrary purpose intended - is simply that the AFD did not pan out - and thankfully so. My post is simply "my take" on the impact based on my own experience and my own observations both during and after the storm. Nothing more, nothing less.

BTW, I'm only a temporary "former" resident of the MS Coast. My present location here in St. Pete is just a relatively short-term hiatus. Our home is still there waiting for our return one of these days.

Understood, and my apologies if I took portions of your post out of context. The statement regarding "cry wolf syndrome" just seemed a stretch to me in light of Katrina's actual impact on the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. Yes it miraculously wasn't a category 5 storm at either landfall and fortunately, a fair number of those effects described didn't come to fruition, but IMHO, I don't believe the wording of the NWS Katrina Sunday morning statement could ever be construed in hindsight by a substantial number of people as overestimating or overhyping the potential danger. To paraphrase former NHC director Max Mayfield, the difference between getting hit head-on by a category 3/4 storm instead of a category 5 is like getting run over by a speeding 18-wheeler instead of freight locomotive...and in Katrina's case, certainly not enough to worry that any sensible U.S. coastal residents heard a frantic "wolf!" cry, only to see peacefully grazing sheep.

[Ixolib]

As a former Mississippi coastal resident, you're not really serious are you?

Yeah, I'm really serious. But ONLY as it relates to the actual result compared to the foreboding language given in the AFD - which is why my post is directly and solely related to that document, quote for quote. I'm not blaming anyone for anything - especially not the N.O. NWS. Agreeably, the bulletin came out at 11am, and at that time things surely looked different. My point - with no malaise or contrary purpose intended - is simply that the AFD did not pan out - and thankfully so. My post is simply "my take" on the impact based on my own experience and my own observations both during and after the storm. Nothing more, nothing less.

BTW, I'm only a temporary "former" resident of the MS Coast. My present location here in St. Pete is just a relatively short-term hiatus. Our home is still there waiting for our return one of these days.

Understood, and my apologies if I took portions of your post out of context. The statement regarding "cry wolf syndrome" just seemed a stretch to me in light of Katrina's actual impact on the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. Yes it miraculously wasn't a category 5 storm at either landfall and fortunately, a fair number of those effects described didn't come to fruition, but IMHO, I don't believe the wording of the NWS Katrina Sunday morning statement could ever be construed in hindsight by a substantial number of people as overestimating or overhyping the potential danger. To paraphrase former NHC director Max Mayfield, the difference between getting hit head-on by a category 3/4 storm instead of a category 5 is like getting run over by a speeding 18-wheeler instead of freight locomotive...and in Katrina's case, certainly not enough to worry that any sensible U.S. coastal residents heard a frantic "wolf!" cry, only to see peacefully grazing sheep.

All good points, BV. And, no doubt, this is one of those kinds of discussions that has so many deeply personal sides involved that it would be hard to ever come to a viable conclusion. Katrina was absolutely a life-changing event and one that in most probability will only come around once in one's lifetime.

My cry-wolf statement is easy to make now - two years later. But I too read that AFD on that Sunday morning and I knew it was directed at me and mine. As it turned out, I was STILL stuck in my "I survived Camille" mode so I personally did not react to the bulletin with the ferver with which it was intended. I think it all boils down to the fact that this disaster is so difficult to put into words - much less understand one's own internal feelings about it - that oftentimes the discussion that ensues gets boiled really quick.

With all that said, you are right that the cry-wolf & fear mongering was too strong - so, thanks for calling me out on that one.

[CrazyC83]

Despite that, Katrina was still by far the worst natural disaster in U.S history.

I don't know if I would say that. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 killed far more people despite hitting a far less populated area (at the time). Also if it happened today, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake would have damage numbers and death tolls that make Katrina look like nothing.

[Normandy]

Folks.
That AFD was warranted, and rest assured had Katrina made landfall with anything more than 145-150 mph winds, damage would have been bordering on extreme.

The Category 5 hurricane we just tracked to the Yucatan proves that storms that intense produce horrific and otherworldy damage to the coastlines they strike. Dean turned a lush a tropical paradise into a brown, desolated and barren land leaving no signs of life. And this was the scene of its WESTERN eyewall. NOT is northern eyewall (with true Category 5 winds).

The scene in 1992, where Andrew's western and NW eyewall tore through Homestead, leaving nothing but piles upon piles of rubble...turning strong palm trees into snapped sticks. Winds that intense are unreal, and winds that intense will do the damage that that AFD indicated. Despite Katrina's devastation, its nothing in comparison to what will happen when a Dean or Andrew strikes the US coast....its going to be brutal.

I invite one to look at the recon obs of Dean when he was making landfall.....

SFMR readings of 120kts in the southern eyewall.
Dropsonde readings of 178kts 150 feet above the surface.
165 kts at flight level in the northern quad.

Something like that hits land, itll be ugly.
The difference between a weakening Cat3 and a deepening Cat4/5 is huge. Unfortunately Katrina was so large it didn't need extreme winds to bring a 28 foot surge.

[Derek Ortt]

I do agree with Franks statement about coastal construction and the same applies to Florida

In fact, as I said last week on a different medium, there should be NO COASTAL CITIES with a population greater than 100K. The return time is too short to justify the constant reconstruction of many of these areas

The NWS statement was intended for a landfalling cat 5 hurricane. As we saw in Homestead in 1992, that kind of damage does occur in a cat 5 (and Dade's construction is far better than New Orleans')

Remember, the wind gusts in a cat 5 are equivalent to an EF5 tornado... nothing survives that

[Frank P]

This is what it looked like Tuesday evening on the beach in Biloxi the day after Katrina... this was part of my neighbors lot about three houses down... everything was noticeably brown and devoid of leaves... not to much was left and there were all kinds of stuff in trees... this lot is 17 feet above see level...

[Frank P]

My house Sunday morning the day before Katrina... pretty GREEN I would say...



The day after, pix taken just south of the westbound lane on HWY 90 (notice on the far bottom right the highway has sunken about a foot)... in many places the hwy was totallly washed away in my area...........

[LeeJet]

I do agree with Franks statement about coastal construction and the same applies to Florida

In fact, as I said last week on a different medium, there should be NO COASTAL CITIES with a population greater than 100K. The return time is too short to justify the constant reconstruction of many of these areas

The NWS statement was intended for a landfalling cat 5 hurricane. As we saw in Homestead in 1992, that kind of damage does occur in a cat 5 (and Dade's construction is far better than New Orleans')

Remember, the wind gusts in a cat 5 are equivalent to an EF5 tornado... nothing survives that

Well, for some reason Taiwan gets plenty of them and they do fine.

[Derek Ortt]

if we built as well as Taiwan does, we wouldn't have the problems that we have

However, even they do have problems when cat 5s comes rolling in

[Ptarmigan]

New Orleans flooded because the levees failed, in many ways a manmade disaster. New Orleans could of actually escaped Katrina, if it was not for the levee failures. If New Orleans is to rebuild, something needs to be done about the wetlands. No drainage or anything will survive a Category 5 hurricane.

[Category 5]

ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
BULLETIN
HURRICANE KATRINA ADVISORY NUMBER 9
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...STRENGTHENING HURRICANE KATRINA BEARING DOWN ON THE SOUTHEAST
COAST OF FLORIDA...
...NEW WARNINGS AND WATCHES ISSUED FOR FLORIDA...

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED
ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST COAST NORTH OF JUPITER INLET. A HURRICANE
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST FROM
JUPITER INLET SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA CITY...INCLUDING LAKE
OKEECHOBEE. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE
BEEN COMPLETED.

AT 5 PM EDT...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF
THE FLORIDA KEYS AND FLORIDA BAY FROM KEY WEST NORTHWARD. A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED ALONG THE GULF COAST OF
FLORIDA FROM LONGBOAT KEY SOUTH AND EASTWARD TO SOUTH OF FLORIDA
CITY. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA
EAST COAST FROM NORTH OF JUPITER INLET TO VERO BEACH.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND
...BIMINI...AND THE BERRY ISLANDS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. THIS
WARNING MAY BE DISCONTINUED LATER TONIGHT.

AT 5 PM EDT...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PORTIONS
THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM NORTH OF LONGBOAT KEY TO ANCLOTE KEY. A
TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST-CENTRAL FLORIDA
COAST FROM NORTH OF VERO BEACH TO TITUSVILLE... INCLUDING ALL OF
MERRITT ISLAND. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA... GENERALLY WITHIN
36 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.1 NORTH... LONGITUDE 79.9 WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES
EAST-NORTHEAST OF FORT LAUDERDALE FLORIDA AND ABOUT 25 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF BOCA RATON FLORIDA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 6 MPH... 9 KM/HR...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
ON THIS TRACK... THE CENTER SHOULD MOVE INLAND ALONG SOUTHEAST
FLORIDA COAST LATER THIS EVENING.

REPORTS FROM A NOAA RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT AND THE MIAMI NOAA
DOPPLER RADAR INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO
75 MPH... WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS NOW A CATEGORY ONE
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME SLIGHT STRENGTHENING
IS POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL OCCURS...WITH WEAKENING EXPECTED
AFTERWARDS AS KATRINA MOVES INLAND ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE
EVERGLADES TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES... 30 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 80 MILES...130 KM. DURING THE PAST HOUR...A GUST TO 64 MPH WAS
REPORTED AT BOCA RATON. DATA FROM A NOAA RECONNAISSANCE DATA AND
NOAA DOPPLER RADARS INDICATE SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS
ARE MOVING ONSHORE THE COASTAL AREAS OF PALM BEACH...BROWARD...AND
MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY A NOAA
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 985 MB...29.09 INCHES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED
NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA.
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE ALSO
EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS IN THE BAHAMAS. STORM SURGE
VALUES WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE IN THE BAHAMAS LATER TODAY.

DUE TO ITS SLOW FORWARD SPEED...KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A
SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT OVER SOUTH FLORIDA...AND THE
CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO
10 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHERN FLORIDA AND
THE FLORIDA KEYS.

REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...26.1 N... 79.9 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 75 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 985 MB.

INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 7 PM EDT AND 9 PM EDT FOLLOWED
BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM EDT.

FORECASTER STEWART


$$
NNNN
-------------------------------------
ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
BULLETIN
HURRICANE KATRINA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 9A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
7 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...EYE OF KATRINA CURRENTLY MAKING LANDFALL BETWEEN HALLANDALE BEACH
AND NORTH MIAMI BEACH WITH 80 MPH WINDS...PORT EVERGLADES JUST
REPORTED GUSTS TO 92 MPH WINDS...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
COAST FROM JUPITER INLET SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA CITY...INCLUDING LAKE
OKEECHOBEE. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE
BEEN COMPLETED.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS
AND FLORIDA BAY FROM KEY WEST NORTHWARD. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING
IS ALSO IN EFFECT ALONG THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM LONGBOAT KEY
SOUTH AND EASTWARD TO SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST COAST FROM NORTH
OF JUPITER INLET TO VERO BEACH.

AT 7 PM EDT...2300Z...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR GRAND BAHAMA
ISLAND...BIMINI...AND THE BERRY ISLANDS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS THE FLORIDA WEST
COAST FROM NORTH OF LONGBOAT KEY TO ANCLOTE KEY AND FOR THE
EAST-CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST FROM NORTH OF VERO BEACH TO TITUSVILLE
...INCLUDING ALL OF MERRITT ISLAND. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS
THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH
AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 7 PM EDT...2300Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 25.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.1 WEST. THIS POSITION IS ON
THE COAST BETWEEN HALLANDALE BEACH AND NORTH MIAMI BEACH.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 6 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...
THE CENTER SHOULD MOVE FARTHER INLAND ALONG SOUTH FLORIDA TONIGHT
AND FRIDAY.

LATEST REPORT FROM A NOAA RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT AND THE MIAMI NOAA
DOPPLER RADAR INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 80 MPH... WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. STRONGER WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN GUSTS...ARE
LIKELY ON HIGH RISING BUILDINGS. A GRADUAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS
KATRINA CONTINUES TO MOVE INLAND ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE
EVERGLADES TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 80 MILES.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 985 MB...29.09 INCHES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED
NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF THE LANDFALL POINT.

DUE TO ITS SLOW FORWARD SPEED...KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A
SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT OVER SOUTH FLORIDA...AND THE
CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO
10 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHERN FLORIDA AND
THE FLORIDA KEYS.

REPEATING THE 7 PM EDT POSITION...25.9 N... 80.1 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 80 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 985 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 9 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM
EDT.

FORECASTER AVILA

$$
NNNN

[FritzPaul]

Brent wrote

New Orleans didn't flood until many hours later,

Actually that's not true. The first reported levee breach was in a Flash Flood warning issued around 8:15 am that Monday morning.

You're correct Pearl River. I was there when water started entering my former home in New Orleans East @ 8:00am.

Paul

[Genequte]

During this time, we need to remember the one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six men, women and children who lost their lives and pray for their families. Samuel Francis Tart and his son, John Matthew Tart stayed at their home during the storm. John Tart had just had his second birthday on August 28. Early that morning the water started to rise. Mr. Tart kept placing his son higher and higher, until there was no place higher to go. They died together with father cradling his son. Just one example of the many tragedies of that day.

[Frank2]

Re: sarah bellum's post

The issue is that lessons should be learned and large cities should not be built in disaster-prone areas (flood, hurricane, earthquake, volcano), but, Man is inherently short-sighted, and, believes that since it has not happened since the last disaster, it won't happen again...

I'm sorry that you took offense to my comment, but, the truth is that those in charge should have taken the historic French Quarter and made it into a town similar to historic Williamsburg, VA, and, the city itself relocated to the area north of I-10, at Slidell - if that had been done gradually, for example, since the Hurricane Betsy flood of 1965, Hurricane Katrina's damage to the area would have been more of an inconvenience - the same would have been likely said of towns along the Mississippi coastline.

I know an elderly couple who live 35 miles north of Pascagoula (their son is one my oldest best friends, and, his Dad's great-great Grandfather was Mayor of New Orleans), but, when they returned to the Gulf coast about 15 years ago, they knew that it was better to live inland - as it turned out, while they did lose a few trees to Katrina's winds, thankfully they had no damage to their house...

Frank

[LeeJet]

How come there are no videos of the levees breaching?

[x-y-no]

How come there are no videos of the levees breaching?

Umm ... because nobody happened to be outside in the middle of the storm taping at just the right place and time.

[Javlin]

My house Sunday morning the day before Katrina... pretty GREEN I would say...



The day after, pix taken just south of the westbound lane on HWY 90 (notice on the far bottom right the highway has sunken about a foot)... in many places the hwy was totallly washed away in my area...........

And you made the CNN news there bucko Video saw it on my ATT homepage.It must of been a few weeks ago for the (dog house )FEMA trailer is now long gone Looking at those photos Frank made me remember the day after when I went looking for yea and as I walked up to your place how I began to cry for we had spoken on the front lawn the Sat.before.I was never so happy to see you rummaging through the debris on the back of your lot.

[sarah bellum]

Re: Video of levee breaches

There was a video taken by some firemen who were riding out the storm in a highrise condo unit (I think) in the West End area. I think I've seen it on YouTube with some sort of title like "the video the government didn't want you to see" referencing the fact that the levee failed and wasn't over-topped. It is of the 17th street canal break. I think the National Geographic Channel used it in a segment so it may be on their website.

Edited to add to Frank2: Sorry I reacted strongly to your post. It's just that I never hear that statement (re: not rebuilding) referenced to any other natural disaster other than Katrina. Never heard that in regards to San Francisco and her earthquakes or that the peninsula of Florida is sitting out there like a target with a recent history of several landfalling hurricanes. Never heard that when Ivan hit Alabama. Why Louisiana? Why Mississipppi?

[Frank P]

Yeah Kevin I remember that day quite well... been a long two years for sure... but I'm recovered and enjoying life again.. I had an Associated Press guy here a couple weeks ago doing another story on the house... he came last year and wanted to do a two year follow up this month.. that might have been the story on CNN, I'm not sure... I have not seen it yet but I guess I don't really need to see it... I've been living it... the city is planning some events for the two year remembrance.. the Prez is coming, not sure what else is planned... maybe George W will come by for a visit...

[baygirl_1]

Actually, it has been brought up quite often here in L.A. (Lower Alabama) that Dauphin Island should not be rebuilt. Being a barrier island, scientists have pointed out that it's primary geologic function is to provide protection for land to the north (the rest of our fair county). Yes, people have been living on Dauphin Island for centuries. However, they lived on the eastern side of the island (and there are plenty of harrowing stories of their experiences in hurricanes past). This side of the island is "protected" by very high dunes. People building homes on the far more exposed western side of the island is a fairly recent development. I have to admit that my family had a home on the west end of Dauphin Island that was bought shortly before Hurricane Frederic (what luck!). However, they eventually realized the folly of it all and sold it in 2001. Though we had wonderful times at the house, we were all quite relieved: we were sick of having to make arrangements to secure that house when a hurricane threatened and then dealing with the clean-up and rebuilding afterwards. Yes, my parents rebuilt it at least 3 times. I was ready to give up on it after Frederic when we were taking that ferry back and forth for hours at a time, but who listens to a child! Anyway... Ivan and, especially, Katrina pretty much decimated the west end. Dauphin Island has been rebuilding a very controversial berm to protect the homes on that end of the island. I think rebuilding after hurricane is likely a hot-button topic wherever you go.