Three years after Katrina…
The come back may not be as visually dramatic as 35-foot tidal surges or collapsed houses reduced to matchstick piles, but coastal Mississippi’s recovery makes a powerful story in itself.
Since Hurricane Katrina slammed the shoreline on Aug. 29, 2005, local people and volunteers from around the country have been putting the pieces back together. It’s an inspiring tale of resilience, resurgence and rebirth. South Mississippi, indeed, is rising again.
During my recent visit to Biloxi, the site of this year’s Travel South Showcase, I witnessed the progress being made, talked to local tourism officials and heard survivors’ stories. Mention of the deadly 2005 hurricane naturally creeps into conversation, whether someone is telling you how she ended up marrying the construction worker who repaired her house or how a casino barge blew across the highway and knocked down a building.
One aspect of the Gulf Coast’s travel appeal, I have to admit, is simple curiosity. We want to witness the aftermath of a monumental news event and see the rebuilding.
Residents mark post-Katrina progress in different ways. For those who live in Hancock County, reopening of the U.S. 90 Highway bridge between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian was a major event that caused a lump in many a throat.
For Janice Jones, media relations manager of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, recovery became real the first time (in May 2007) she saw vendors back on the beach with their umbrellas, chairs and aquacycles. “It was a great emotional moment, and I just started to cry. That, for me, was the milestone.â€
By Randy Mink
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Courtesy of leisuregrouptravel.com
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