Trinity Church in Biloxi Before and After Camille

With the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico hosting a triple threat, the three tropical systems known as Ana, Bill and Claudette, it’s difficult to not remember Monday marks the fortieth anniversary of Hurricane Camille’s devastating and life-changing landfall in 1969.

On a personal (and brief) note, Camille was life-changing for me as my mother and I were nearly stranded only a few miles from and within a few hours of this monster storm’s landfall.  Due to a communications mix-up, it was a fluke the man who would become my hero and my dad, made one more pass through before leaving town.  It’s then he saw my mom and me (I was less than a year old, by the way), rescued us and took us far inland to safety.  Of course, this became their love story they continue to write each day and after forty years, it’s still my favorite story.

This, however, might very well be the only “happily ever after” that can be credited to Hurricane Camille.  With winds of over 200 mph, a hurricane warning wasn’t issued for Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana until the day Camille made landfall.  There was less than twenty-four hours for anyone west of Mobile, AL to prepare, or at least, for those hadn’t taken it seriously before.  Much has been said over the past four decades over how the warnings were handled; however, one must remember it was 1969 and the technological advances since then are nothing short of incredible.  The resources simply didn’t exist then that would have allowed the warnings we now have access to.

The Hurricane Center’s 8:25 AM CDT Statement that was released Saturday, August 16, 1969 - less than one day before Camille made landfall:

STATEMENT    8:25  AM  CDT    SATURDAY    AUGUST  16, 1969

TO SUPPLEMENT 9 AM  EDT  ADVISORY FROM MIAMI

A HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE MIDDLE GULF AREA FROM BILOXI,  MISSISSIPPI  TO  ST. MARKS,  FLORIDA.   SPECIFIC HURRICANE WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON TODAY FOR A PART OF THIS AREA.  CAMILLE IS A DANGEROUS HURRICANE AND PREPARATORY ACTION SHOULD BE STARTED IN THE AREA OF THE WATCH.   THE AREA SPECIFIED IN WARNINGS LATER ON SHOULD BE EADY TO START EVACUATION AND START PROTECTIVE ACTION IMMEDIATELY.

Twelve hours later, Camille began to make landfall along the MS Gulf Coast.

Camille was a big lesson, no doubt.   And her landfall didn’t determine its geographical area in terms of damage.  Flooding in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and further north up the east coast was reported at levels not seen for over a century.  Nearly 6,000 homes along the MS Gulf Coast were demolished in their entireties, with many thousands more receiving damage not as catastrophic. And the lives lost?  Mind boggling.

The Corp of Engineers reported over 100 vessels along the coast were sunk, with thousands more damaged or “unfound”.  The insurance industry took a near $300 million dollar hit across several states.

As a result of those lessons learned, thirty-six years after Camille’s historic landfall, below you’ll find the stern and ominous messages the National Hurricane Center now releases as a result of what was learned during Hurricane Camille.  Watches are issued early and warnings are issued usually forty-eight hours before a hurricane is expected to make landfall, and of course, we now have a far better idea of where landfall occurs - not perfect, but much more accurate.  This text is verbatim from the National Hurricane Center’s site during Hurricane Katrina:

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

…DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED…

.HURRICANE KATRINA…A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED
STRENGTH…RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS…PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL…LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE…INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY…A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD…AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS…PETS…AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS…AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN

The Biloxi Lighthouse Before and After Katrina

AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING…BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE…OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE…ARE
CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET…DO NOT VENTURE
OUTSIDE!

While researching for this article, I discovered a report released by the National Hurricane Center in September of 1969.  There are some interesting copies of what satellite imagery looked like then.  This in itself is enough to make us look at our current radars and satellites with a new appreciation.  The article, in .pdf format, can be read in its entirety here.

And now, it’s back to The Weather Channel for updates on the tropics…

Once again, New Orleans has reclaimed the unwanted title of the nation’s murder capital.  The FBI released its statistics this week and after losing this title for a year, it’s found itself at the top yet again.  With 64 killings per 100,000 people, it comes in well ahead of St. Louis, in second place, with 47 murders per 100,000.

No city wants this title, but New Orleans has had an especially tough time over the past several years.

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Hurricane Katrina’s devastating effects remain, both on a physical and psychological level, unemployment rates have never recovered and are still incredibly high and of course, poverty runs rampant in one of the most beautiful and historical cities this country has to offer.

2008 looked promising for the city.  Murder rates were down nearly 15% at the end of the year with a total of 179.  That was a decrease of 31 murders from 2007.  Hopes were high as the city struggled to move forward, despite its violent reputation.  The fact populations numbers were on the rise, even as the murders were declining only added to that hope.

2008 also brought an increase in the number of police officers on the city’s force and with that, city officials were hoping for a continued trend in the decrease.  Unfortunately, that simply didn’t pan out and now, once again, leaders struggle to not only understand why, but how they can begin to see those numbers decrease.

As time moves forward, so does progress as this southern city works to reestablish its court systems.  New buildings are still being constructed four years after Katrina and new infrastructures are being developed as well.  Hopefully, with federal funding and a continued commitment among the residents and police officials, New Orleans can finally shed its unwanted title and can work to become a favorite vacation or retirement area.  For those who’ve never visited New Orleans, you owe it to yourselves to see the historic cemeteries, churches and other landmarks.  And, too, you’ve not lived until you’ve survived a night on Bourbon Street and witnessed the personalities and charm that makes New Orleans…well, New Orleans.

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Biloxi-Ocean Springs MS bridge

 Monday marks the beginning of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season.  In the four years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we’ve heard much about lessons learned.  Hopefully, and especially for those who live on the Gulf Coast and spend one half of our lives in hurricane season, those lessons have been heeded. 

From the ultimate resignation of Michael D. Brown, the one-director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the months of finger pointing and blame-laying over what went wrong with the levees that crumbled and flooded New Orleans, new guidelines have been put in place to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.  It might be decades before we know if those guidelines will suffice.  Then again, it could be put to the test over the next several months.

Hopefully, the 1800-plus deaths that resulted during Katrina alone will be enough incentive for everyone to heed evacuation orders.  It’s doubtful since people have chosen to stay since the beginning of time; still, the horror and fear of the 911 calls that were released and told chilling stories of those who had nowhere to go and could only relay the hell of their last minutes will be enough to give folks pause to rethink their decisions to stay.

Perhaps the most disturbing after-effect of Katrina’s landfall was the kindness extended by Houstonians and the unfortunate cost to them.  By welcoming more than 150,000 New Orleanans, it was repaid with a 22% increase in violent crimes, unemployment rates that most of the rest of the country is just now beginning to see due to the recession and depleted coffers for social programs, hospitals and unemployment.  It was so bad, Houston police officials were forced to form a Gang Murder Squad to deal with the influx of criminals, many of whom were gang members who left their territory on New Orleans’ streets.  Its murders rose 20% in the year after Katrina and many, if not most, involved those relocated from New Orleans, either as the accused or the victim.  It’s estimated that the costs associated with the rise in crime after Katrina neared 18 million dollars. 

Baton Rouge welcomed 100,000 evacuees.  It had its share of crime as well.  As the police chief of that city, Jeff LeDuff, said, “I’m willing to be my brother’s keeper, but while my brother is in Baton Rouge, he must behave.”   Calls to the Baton Rouge police departments went from around 500 a day to over 750.  New Orleans mayor, Ray Nagan said at the time that they welcomed the city’s citizens to return home, but that they must be willing to work.  This left many in Houston and Baton Rouge to wonder what exactly the officials in New Orleans expected them to do with those who would not or could not work.

Sadly, should history repeat itself, neighboring cities will most likely be hesitant to be so welcoming to those most in need.  Then again, southern hospitality being what it is, there’s a good chance memories will be short when it comes to matters such as those.

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 Once again, I got sidetracked with my efforts in posting a completely different blog today.  There are times that we come across people and know, sometimes instantly, that we dislike them.  Sometimes we know why, other times, it’s nothing but a gut feeling telling us to steer clear.  Michael Moore is one of those people.  Outspoken, loud and even brash is fine with me.  Insultive?  Not so fine with me.  I don’t care that he has made across-the-board statements on people based solely on their political affiliations.  I don’t care that he seldom allows an opponent he’s debating with to get a word in edgewise. It’s frustrating and leaves me wishing I had five minutes alone in a locked room with him - not to knock his head off his shoulders, although I’d be lying if I said that thought had never crossed my mind, but to give him a good “what for” about manners, respect for others’ opinions and what’s acceptable in a proper society that we as Americans keep insisting we are.  You know: the basic laws of etiquette. 

His latest entry into the “Jackass of the Year” award, though, takes the cake.  He’s managed to combine politics, religion, stupidity and pure disrespect and then rocket it to a new level. 

As millions of people are evacuating New Orleans in anticipation of yet another major hurricane that rivals Camille and Katrina, he’s shoving his foot down his throat by insisting this numbing tragedy (and trust me….this will be a tragedy on an entirely new plane.  Give it twelve more hours.) is proof that God exists.  And his reasoning?  Well, that’s simple in his mind.  The fact that Gustav’s landing will coincide with the Republic National Convention is nothing short of a gift from God.  I’m wondering what proactive measures he’s taking to see to those who will be directly affected from this storm and who also happen to be fans of his.   I know he can’t be too busy apologizing for such a crass statement.  He’s already provided a lukewarm “explanation” that he thinks is acceptable.  Which is fine.  As my mom says: “A forced apology is never a sincere apology.”

The fact is, in this region of the country, we’re taking measures to protect our family and the lives we’ve built.  Some will be impacted more than others.  When we take our eyes off of the satellites that show a huge storm that although is “only” a cat 3 hurricane right now, is projected to make landfall 100 miles to my east as a cat 4 monster, we’re watching and holding our breath and anticipating post-landfall problems, especially with the levees that were nowhere near completion after collapsing during Hurricane Katrina three years and three days ago.  We’re watching the legalities that are sure to come from insurance companies.  There are those who are gathering the same things they’ve gathered storm after storm as well as those documents we’ve learned to never forget since Katrina.  Every 

My previous office post-Katrina

police department from west Louisiana to the Florida panhandle is anticipating looters and preparing for those problems.  There were murders in New Orleans in the days following Katrina, accusations of police brutality, legal brawls in courtrooms regarding the definition of “murder” and whether or not nursing home administrators should be tried for that crime when they lost many of their residents and convicted sex offenders who’ve still not been located.  Those of us who aren’t anticipating a “direct hit” are walking our properties to double check all loose objects are secured because we’re looking at about a two hundred mile wide storm and although we might not get 150+ mph winds others are sure to see, we’re still looking at 70, maybe 80 mph winds at times.  And if you think it doesn’t affect you, think again.  Have you fueled your vehicle in the past couple days?  Notice any price hike?  There are reports that the attempted suicide rate jumped 600% in the weeks following Katrina.  Yes…SIX HUNDRED PERCENT.  This wasn’t only in New Orleans, but in south MS as well.  I can’t think of one person who wasn’t grateful for the water, the ice, the clothes, the toothpaste, the towels and a million other daily things that we just don’t notice until it doesn’t exist.  So much of it was provided by volunteers from every state, but there was so much of it that was provided by the taxpayers.  I would like to think every person in this country looks at it as exactly what our taxes are meant for.  Think back - there was a controversy regarding the insurance companies proposed “solution” to their problems as increasing premiums to all of their customers - not only those who were affected by Katrina.  Agree or disagree, there it is. 

So - Michael Moore…if you don’t mind, can you leave God alone?  We kind of need Him here right now.  And by the way, I doubt He’d choose you to declare that He does indeed exist.  Tell ya what: since Dickie Scruggs will be spending the next five hurricane seasons in prison, why don’t you fill his void?  No matter what anyone thinks about this former lawyer, he brought the insurance companies to their collective knees.  You just might learn a bit about humility and human nature.