Posted: 9/6/2005 8:13:54 PM EDT
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I have some pics I want to post for you guys. These were taken in Biloxi and Gulfport on the day after the hurricane, as well as 7 days after the hurricane. Some of these are large, so I'm going to post links to them rather than set them up to show here. Before the pic will be a description of what you are seeing, for those not familiar with the Mississippi Gulf Coast. After seeing this area and taking these pics, I thought of those people who like to piss and moan and bitch and gripe about every little thing that doesn't go right. I bet they wouldn't trade places with the people affected by these: This is the Treasure Bay Casino and Resort. The boat used to be behind that little building, with the bow facing to the left of the picture. www.pi68.com/katrina001.jpg This is the President Casino. Well the structure taking up the right 2/3 of the picture is. The 1/3 to the left is part of the motel that the President has destroyed. www.pi68.com/katrina002.jpg Just one of the many shots of the surface of Hwy 90. I'm in the westbound lanes. The eastbound lanes are to the left of the picture. www.pi68.com/katrina003.jpg There is something to be said for this picture. The background looks like some trees and all. If you look closely however, you will see a couple of slabs where entire houses used to be. They are now about 1.5 blocks further inland, and the slabs are clean. This was NOT done by cleanup crews, but by the storm surge. www.pi68.com/katrina004.jpg Ummm, Stairway to Heaven? This was a 4 story motel or apartment complex. I'm not sure which. It doesn't much matter any more.... www.pi68.com/katrina005.jpg Taking the McDonalds drive-thru idea to a whole new level. This is the McDonalds in the Edgewater Mall parking lot. There was a Chevron immediately to the right of it. www.pi68.com/katrina006.jpg The foreground is the corner of a piece of private property. Across the road was Denny's. Next to it was a gas station (Kangaroo, used to be a Texaco). www.pi68.com/katrina007.jpg This house managed to not get washed off its foundation. www.pi68.com/katrina008.jpg Neither did this one. www.pi68.com/katrina009.jpg The couple of houses on the left are still on their foundations, but the stuff in the street?? Who knows... www.pi68.com/katrina010.jpg An A-Frame Church building. Now with a view. www.pi68.com/katrina011.jpg Some more of the condition of Hwy 90 along the beach. www.pi68.com/katrina012.jpg Debris to the left of the pic was from the south side of Hwy 90. The pic is of the north side of Hwy 90. Notice the cleaned off slab to the right of the picture. There used to be a building... www.pi68.com/katrina013.jpg What is left of a 3 story motel. www.pi68.com/katrina014.jpg Nissan vs Mother Nature. www.pi68.com/katrina015.jpg On the left of the picture... A Sonic, a Fiesta Brava, a Waffle House, a Taco Bell, a Shell gas station, a Hooters, etc., etc., etc. On the right, several motels. www.pi68.com/katrina016.jpg Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederacy) home and library, is on Hwy 90. This is the library. www.pi68.com/katrina017.jpg This is the inside of the Edgewater Mall. www.pi68.com/katrina018.jpg On the right were some unknown establishment, a Spirits Bar and Grill, and yet another Waffle House. www.pi68.com/katrina019.jpg This is part of the debris field inside the VA Hospital grounds in Gulfport. It goes for about 150', then turns to the right for another 75' as it all piled up against the rear gate. The rest of the compound is similarly littered. When we went in, they warned us that there were 3 bodies that had been tagged, but not removed yet. Ugh. www.pi68.com/katrina020.jpg I have a lot more, but I have to get to sleep soon so I can start back up with the disaster recovery in the morning. Hope these have given you an idea just how bad it really is. Woody |
| For the local guys, I've got about an hour of aerial footage while flying missions with the guard. Next DCM meet I'll bring the tape and show you. On the way back from a small community North of Slidell, LA to the Gulfport airport I shot footage along the coast and there is barely anything left but concrete slabs and pools. Most of whats was once the houses is about 600 yards inland. |
Guard? Guard? How do I score some MREs? If I have to have crackers and Vienna sausages again, I think I'm gonna crac!  Seriously though, I'd love to see the footage. All I can see is from the ground, and (as the pics show) it's a mess. I tried to get my tower crew to take pics from the top of a tower today, but they said it wasn't worth it where we were. Then again, tomorrow is another day.... Glad to hear from ya. Check in with us and let us know how it's going. Woody |