Biloxi, Mississippi.
Having conducted a preliminary exploration of the Gulf coast from Gulfport west to New Orleans we decided on a road trip to Biloxi which is located east of Gulfport on the coast. A major Interstate expressway funnels people directly over estuaries, bays and rivers to the casinos on the coast. We left the Interstate to explore this low laying area. We traveled back and forth for miles along the beach front and inland along side streets in an attempt to locate the business areas or some sign of shops. This became an exercise in frustration as we traveled narrow streets that were virtually devoid of traffic.
Note; enlarge the picture and see the schooner in the background, a gambling casino with a big hole in the hull.A lone no-nonsense packing security person inside a portable chain-link fence with the ever present pick-up truck guarded the entrance to a destroyed casino on the coast.
Shrimp boats were piled into a tangle but the roads were cleared of trees and rubble 5 months after Katrina. The only activity that could be noted was at two Casinos, one block from the beach, which proudly announced that they were open. The large casino complex that had the guard appeared to have broken the fury of the water surge that accompanied hurricane Katrina.
Jannich stopped at a small run-down gas station that was surrounded by rubble to discover that the operator was a second generation Vietnamese woman whose only accent was Southern.
Then we realized that this area with shrimp boats being a common sight was populated by 1970s Vietnamese immigrants.
We passed 3 large tent/dome shelters or areas of assistance and a large lot occupied by FEMA trailers surrounded by a chain-link fence. In stark contrast, with perfectly manicured green grass giving a garden like air, properties with walkways and statues were noted on the same street near the FEMA trailers. These properties were a complete contrast to the miles and miles of surrounding dead grass, broken trees and desolation. Each immaculate space had a Buddhist temple as its crowning jewel.
A cold, uneasy feeling hung over the area as we scanned for the people who live here. No children, no mothers, no old men nor anyone going to visit or buy groceries could be seen. On later reflection we decided that there was no one on the street because it would be too dangerous and there was nowhere to go. A feeling of abandonment filled the area.
Shrimp boats were piled into a tangle but the roads were cleared of trees and rubble 5 months after Katrina. The only activity that could be noted was at two Casinos, one block from the beach, which proudly announced that they were open. The large casino complex that had the guard appeared to have broken the fury of the water surge that accompanied hurricane Katrina.
Jannich stopped at a small run-down gas station that was surrounded by rubble to discover that the operator was a second generation Vietnamese woman whose only accent was Southern.
Then we realized that this area with shrimp boats being a common sight was populated by 1970s Vietnamese immigrants.
We passed 3 large tent/dome shelters or areas of assistance and a large lot occupied by FEMA trailers surrounded by a chain-link fence. In stark contrast, with perfectly manicured green grass giving a garden like air, properties with walkways and statues were noted on the same street near the FEMA trailers. These properties were a complete contrast to the miles and miles of surrounding dead grass, broken trees and desolation. Each immaculate space had a Buddhist temple as its crowning jewel.
A cold, uneasy feeling hung over the area as we scanned for the people who live here. No children, no mothers, no old men nor anyone going to visit or buy groceries could be seen. On later reflection we decided that there was no one on the street because it would be too dangerous and there was nowhere to go. A feeling of abandonment filled the area.
Quite saddened, we left this large scattered area with a former population of 50,000 people by the way of the same Interstate. Because of the large number of inland rivers and bays there probably was more significant flooding further inland than there was at some of the other areas we visited. After this length of time there seems to be very little of recovery and rebuilding. Has Biloxi been forgotten or is it just recovering in its own way?
A bathing suit on a display stand. Most of the other towns have either cleared or in the process of cleaning the beaches on the Gulf. But not here in Biloxi. Beach cleaning is not simply picking up things. Large machines churn up the sand to a depth of several feet to sift out the large and small objects. The rubbish is then dumped into trucks and hauled away.These photos were taken 5 months after Katrina!
posted by Ruthie @ 11:05 p.m.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home