Biloxi, Mississippi, November 15, 2012

We were fascinated by Biloxi after realizing that the city was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. So much of the focus was on New Orleans that a lot of smaller towns went unnoticed. The eye of Katrina actually passed within 60 miles of Biloxi. The very sad part about this place was that it was so rich in history, dating back to 1699. So many beautiful old mansions that stood across the street from the beaches were completely destroyed. It was shocking to see that seven years after Katrina, this town on the Gulf of Mexico isn't even close to recovery.

Biloxi Bay

Beach Street

The Hard Rock Hotel was scheduled to open the day before Katrina hit. It would be two years later until it reopened

The Beau Rivage also suffered severe damage, and closed it's doors for over a year

18 miles of sand had to be trucked in to replace what the hurricane had taken away

This used to be a hotel....

The white line shows the height of the water after Hurricane Camille struck in 1969



And this one shows the height of Katrina



The original bridge that stood here was knocked over like a line of dominoes

Some people purchased the homes Fema brought in

This home was spared, but notice the sign on the right under the porch

Majestic Live Oaks survived the storm because of their strength and resistance to wind

Original home of  Barq's Root Beer, a popular drink in the south

Memorial to Hurricane Camille

This church survived Camille, only to be destroyed by Katrina

Memorial to Katrina

This tree, destroyed by Katrina, was turned into a sculpture by Marlin Miller

Hotel for sale

One of the old mansions that survived

And this one...