Hurricane Katrina - Killer Storm, Page 4

Hurricane Katrina, Page 4

Killer, Destroyer of Cities and Homes and Lives

Downtown Biloxi

A photo narrative by Linda Saxon Nix
Biloxi, MS
Photos © 2005 by Linda Saxon Nix

(Updates in colored type)

It was only because we had to go downtown to visit my elderly neighbor who has been in the hospital since before the hurricane to take her some things that she asked us to bring her that we were even allowed in downtown Biloxi, the area worst hit. Traffic was backed up for miles for those trying to enter, proceeding at a snail's pace to get over I-110, the bridge into East Biloxi. Just before the bridge, police were stopping everyone and asking what business they had in Biloxi. They let us in when we said, "Hospital".

After our visit with our neighbor, we did ride around a little. We were very cautions because it was rather scary. Officials and police were everywhere, and they were still working in what looked like a place where a bomb was dropped the further east we drove. We decided to turn around so as not to get in the way, or be told that we had absolutely no business driving around. Actually, I felt like I was trespassing. Still, the photographer snapped her pictures. It was unbelievable how things had changed. The damage was ... I can't think of words to describe it. I'll let these photos tell you.

Mississippi Coast Supply on Cailivette Street.

Scene looking down the street where the Ohr Museum is - George E. Ohr Street. Don't know what kind of damage the museum got, but the street has tons of rubble.

Closer to the Beach on Ohr Street - you can see the tall hotel part of the Hard Rock Casino. The back casino part was totally torn up. The hotel took some wind damage, as you can see, on the eastern side.

Across from the Beau Rivage. I think this was the old Bombay Bicycle Club to the left.
Around April of 2006 they finally cleaned the rubble from the restaurant.

All of the casinos on the beach lost their casino barges. Most of them ended up either on Highway 90 or on the other side. The President landed on the Holiday In Express by the coliseum in Biloxi, and the Grand is on top of a historical home used for weddings, receptions, and a display of Christmas trees from nationalities that make up Biloxi's heritage.

Apartments on Cailivette Street close to Biloxi Regional Hospital.

My friend, Elizabeth, has taught art classes in this building for years. Her studio is on the 3rd floor. I think it is on the other end, though. I haven't heard how much damage she sustained. I've taken some art workshops there and attended quite a few Biloxi Art Association meetings there. It's one block north of Howard Avenue.
She did not move back into her studio after the storm.

A scalped Oak tree and a mountain of rubble behind the empty parking lot of the old downtown Vieux Marché.

Also behind the Vieux Marchè are some of the Indian River transport tanks that carried load after load of water from our Popps Ferry water take to the Biloxi Regional Hospital every day, and still are. As of 9/12/05, the water is still not drinkable, and they have to treat it when they receive it. In fact, they have notices in every patient's room telling them not to drink the water, and to use hand sanitizer to wash their hands.

Here they are filling a truck with water by our water tank by the Margaret Sherry Library Fire Station.

More rubble on Howard Avenue.

A view from the car of rubble on Howard Avenue. This is about the only east-west road open to drive down. Any further towards the beach is pretty much off limits.

Remember I said strange things can be seen? This is behind the old Federal Building on Howard in Biloxi. Where this mini-submarine came from beats me. Maybe it was on display before the hurricane hit. If anyone knows, please let me know.

After I put this page up, I got an e-mail from Tim Williams of Ocean Springs. He wrote, "This sub is a scale model of a world war two sub that was on display at the seafood museum down on the point. It once sat only a few yards from the foot of the Biloxi - Ocean Springs Bridge (Biloxi side). It is amazing that it traveled that many miles!"
He also said, "I remember seeing something about it on WLOX a long time ago. I think its a scale replica of W.W.II German Submarine U-166 that was sunk by the Coast Guard on August 1, 1942 off of the Mississippi River Delta. In fact, it is the only German submarine sunk by the Coast Guard during W.W.II."
He used to drive by the now destroyed seafood museum every day on his way to and from work at one of the casinos and he thought the sub had been destroyed because of the destruction of the bridge and homes in the area.

I suspect that the mini sub was rescued from wherever the storm surge placed it and it was put on the courthouse parking lot for safe keeping until a place is found to display it again. Thanks, Tim, for solving the mystery.

May, 2006 Update: More of the mystery solved: The sub has now been moved back to the location where the Maritime Seafood Museum once stood, and where the office is now housed in a trailer. I asked about the sub one day when I was down there taking more photos of the destroyed Biloxi-Ocean Springs bridge. Daliance Ross, office manager for the museum, told me that the model sub was created by Universal Studios in Florida as a promotional prop for the premier of the movie, "U-571". It was purchased by a man who later traded it to our museum for a sailboat that he wanted. It is the exact scale model of the German Submarine that was sunk by the Coast Guard (see blue text above), thus giving it historical significance to our area.

In actuality, the Seafood Museum moved the sub, that school bus, and a boat that they were selling to the Federal Courthouse before the storm for safe keeping. They wish they have moved more things, because they were the only things that survived Katrina except for some rusty seafood-era equipment and a huge anchor chain and maybe a few more damaged items and some salvaged brick.

This poor house, which was probably in bad shape anyway, has seen it's glory days. It will have to be razed. It looks gutted and completely uninhabitable. So sad. It was probably a good example of historical architecture as can be seen by the remaining woodworking hanging from the eaves of the house.

From the looks of the coolers on this porch, people are merely camping out in this very damaged house. At least their spirits are high as evidenced by Old Glory flying double. Biloxians just don't give up!

On the same Howard Avenue, but on the south side of the street, this house was completely gutted, with only a shell remaining. It will probably be condemned, also.

Now, this one will get a lot of attention. This old, abandoned house on Howard Avenue was opened up to be used by the man who is standing who lost his home. It is owned by his boss, who lives I don't know where. This afternoon, four men were sitting on the porch. There is nothing in the house, but it wasn't damaged too badly. It provided a roof over his head, and he apparently shared it with other unfortunate friends. The signs were what attracted me - the play on the Beau Rivage, and the "No Vacancy". They have several grills and can cook on the porch and watch the world to by. I doubt if the building even had electricity before the storm.

May, 2006: The house is now boarded up, and there are no signs of life at the No Rivage Heartbreak Hotel. I look back at that day and see this as one of the many strange and, yes, even humorous things that occurred right after Katrina. Just talking to the men was an interesting experience. One can hope that they now have a better place to live.

This is a small "mom and pop" grocery store that is right next to the Heartbreak No Rivage Hotel
The owner was on the porch of the "hotel" with the other three men. He said that everything was ruined and that he is not going to open back up.

Further down towards the point, there was a bus in a flattened area, probably transporting workers to and from the area.

Same disaster area - I'm not even sure where this is except that it is east of the Tivoli Hotel.

More of nothing left.

More of nothing.

A truck is buried in this jumble of rubble. Hundreds upon hundreds of cars were trashed by the salt water and by trees falling on them. Once in salt water, vehicles are history. I have friends who lost all of their automobiles and have to rent for now.

This is a path to nowhere and another dead automobile.

Again, somewhere about a block or two from the beach down on East Howard Avenue.

A row of wooden houses on Howard that have less damage than some, but were still hit hard.

What used to be the Methodist Seashore Mission, a place that helped the homeless.

Another view of Seashore Mission.

The Tivoli Hotel, an old Biloxi Landmark, was severely damaged. This is a rear view, as people weren't allowed on Highway 90 to take photos. It was damaged by flood waters as well as the Grand Casino barge, which crashed into it and severely damaged it, knocking off quite a portion of the southeast corner of the front of the building, leaving huge, gaping holes on each floor. The barge moved east and rested on the Tullis Manor, thus crushing another of our historical buildings and losing another piece of precious history. Those darned *&$%#+#! casino barges messed up quite a bit or our Coast when they were blown ashore, and do you wanna bet they won't any take responsibility for the damage they caused to our historic coast other than demolishing the barges many months after the storm? Part of the barge was still on the Biloxi Yacht Club property way into 2006 before they started removing it.

You can see the Gulf through the trees of what's left in this area. The Tivoli Hotel is almost out of sight on the left. When I was looking at this area and taking photos, it escaped my memory what this large building could be. I searched my memory, making a mental run down Highway 90 trying to remember what was so large next to the Tivoli. I simply could not remember. I figured at first it must be a new apartment building, but I hadn't remembered one that large being built there. And then, it dawned on me. Nothing that big was there before. Before the hurricane, there was a narrow two-story building sitting on a neatly landscaped lawn that was always decorated so beautifully for Christmas. What I was seeing was the Grand Casino! It had hit the Tivoli Hotel, then landed right smack on top of the Tullis Manor.

Another ruined house in East Biloxi.

It just went on and on - nothing left of all of the houses on The Point. These people have nothing left. A neighbor's Mom lived down here somewhere, and could only find a few pieces of china and dishes that remained.

More of the same - nothing left.

A block off Highway 90 by the side of the Biloxi Community Center - piles of rubble and furniture from the flooded building.

Beach House Gone

In front of the parking lot of the Community Center was a large old home with a carriage house that used to be used by the Biloxi Art Association. The house and carriage house were wiped away. You can see the Gulf in the background.

Church of the Redeemer Grounds

One of the most tragic losses for Biloxi was the Church of the Redeemer and the Bell Tower. The church was destroyed during Camille, but the bell tower remained as a beautiful symbol. Katrina destroyed both of them. All that remains of the church is a steel frame. On Highway 90, in front of the church, were all types of emergency and rescue vehicles and people. It looked ominous.

Church of the Redeemer Grounds

A closer view of the remains of the Church of the Redeemer. You can see stairsteps and a cross.

Beach Rubble

Behind and to the northeast from the Church of the Redeemer you can see how things were washed away and up against the other houses.

The Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino as seen from the I-110 highway. Although it suffered some damage, it was the least affected casino. The hotel has and is housing relief workers and officials from out of town.

Much of the rubble and remnants of what used to be in East Biloxi has been removed by debris hauling contractors.
Slabs remain in some places, although some slabs have been broken up and carted away. Things are still uncertain for homeowners on the Point, as they don't know if they can rebuild to new flood codes or not. Some are selling to casinos, and it is predicted that casinos will take over the Point with huge, fancy Las Vegas-type entertainment casinos.
Our heritage and our history is at stake. Much of it will be lost to so-called progress. This, to me, is sad.
There will be massive rebuilding, and a lot of it will be good for Biloxi, but we will never be the same. Most housing is moving away from the Bay and Beach areas for safety, although there are people who would love to live in their old neighborhoods if they could afford the elevators that will be necessary to get them up to their first floor with the new flood height regulagions. Time and progress (?) marches on, so I guess we have to adapt when live throws us such horrendous curves.

May 2006