I agree...there is nothing "historic" about the property now. It's so sad and I'm so sorry for you.

Very sad!!! They need to remove this from the property. Very sad for her too!!

I agree, rebuild,restore, bring the people back home and move on.

How sad it is that we are so quick to look at the ravaged remnants of history, and jump to scrape them away like mold on the pavement. One day we'll have no footprints of time to show our descendants. Shame of us.

There is NOTHING historic left. It is sort of like the passing of a loved one. Let's get on with the burial so that we may heal and start anew. God bless you all.

Sandy Leath, Hilton Head Island, S. C.

It seems red tape between the states and FEMA have completely disabled the residents of New Orleans from completing any kind of rehabilitation to their homes or communities. How can anyone fight this kind of governmental double talk? Perhaps FEMA has micromanaged themselves out of a job.

How sad it is that we are so quick to look at the ravaged remnants of history, and jump to scrape them away like mold on the pavement. One day we'll have no footprints of time to show our descendants. Shame on us.

Get a grip, Lynn. It's her house, or what's left of it, and she wants it gone! I don't see a historical commission waiting to rebuild it for her. People need to use common sense. No shame in wanting to move on with your life.

Please help these folks to move on a start a new good life. They have gone through so much. God bless them all.

Our government is pathetic. The United States can't wait to help another country. But when the citizens of this supposely great nation need help we have to go through a bunch of red tape to get it. That's why we pay taxes, state taxes, and federal taxes. If someone wants there house demolished that's what should be done. When you have a Hurricane like Katrina there's nothing left to save.

If I had a bulldozer, I'd come down and let you take it for a ride!

u find a place for myself to stay, with food, water..
ill remove it...forget fema.
as strange as it seems..i am a carpenter and cant find work there, that will provide transportation..

I am also saddened that Ms. Archibeque and other owners of historic properties are bystanders in the interdepartmental issues between FEMA and MDAH. The process that requires MDAH to sign off on such work is called Section 106 Review and refers to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which provides a framework for review of federally funded, licensed, and permitted projects to determine whether or not they will have an adverse impact on properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. It seems, however, that the news article is to some degree blaming MDAH for the slow response; this is inappropriate. Nationally, State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) are notoriously underfunded and, as a result, have only very minimal staff. In some cases only one or two people may be responsible for the Section 106 review process for an entire state (and this includes all projects funded by federal grants; all FCC, OCC, FDIC, and other federally licensed projects; and Army Corps of Engineers projects to name but a few). Considering the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, it is unrealistic to expect even a staff of ten to be able to process all the requests for Section 106 Review. This is, however, a review system that works well and that we need to retain because—in all but the most extreme circumstances—it enables objective review of federal projects. I expect that MDAH is doing everything they can to keep up with the volume of requests but that the office, like all SHPOs along the Gulf Coast, is strapped for staff time to keep up with the work. My heart goes out to the homeowners whose properties and lives were destroyed by this event. Perhaps it would have been prudent for FEMA and other federal agencies to better coordinate for this process—it is something that federal agencies have always known about and should have been a stronger part of an overall disaster management plan.

I believe these agencies need to work together a little harder to expedite these requests rather than stall. This storm was not like Camille..it was worse. There is no way to restore what's left of some of the historic homes and sites. It can't be done. I have to admire the lady for being able to let go. Part of what has made this area 'home' for so many years, the gracious antebellum houses, the victorians, the shotgun houses, the elegant oak trees; these are all gone and sometimes you just can't get back what's been lost. If she can break with the past and start over I say more power to her. It ain't easy honey, I know! And I admire her strength and courage and deplore the beaurocracy that bars her progress.

the U.S. has built 586 schools 45 hospitals, many roads and many other necessary items needed for iraq to live again and they have done NOTHING in this country to help many of the people that are citizens here. Maybe if New Orleans declare war things would get done a lot faster.

We know what FEMA is not doing..why are we not hearing of what they are doing?? I can find nothing nor do i see anything as to what is being done !!!

the U.S. has built 586 schools 45 hospitals, many roads and many other necessary items needed for iraq to live again and they have done NOTHING in this country to help many of the people that are citizens here. Maybe if New Orleans declare war things would get done a lot faster.

Am I surprised? NO! the people in Port Arthur, Texas and the surrounding area are facing the same kinds of things. Katrina had the levess to break, but Rita carried the winds! People are seill waiting for help. We are Americans! We paid into the system! Now that we need help, our politicians turn their backs on us. What happened to America???

Salvage what you can, rebuild, and use the salvaged items as a historic reminder of just how much a hurricane can take with it. My heart goes out to those who lost so much.

Don't worry! This year we will see more storms from global warming that will cover any past remnants in sand. Time will heal beach-view over-population wounds. Even still the taxpayer will foot the bill by way of government "free" money. Did you get a tax "refund"?

I understand her stress but again if you purchase or inherit properties that are of historical value it is all part of it. The fact it was renovated and redesigned does not make it any less historical. The red tape she has to go through unfortunately is our way of life now. She has a small part of history and unfortunately what was left after Katrina is a mere memory of our past.

Actions speak louder than words. Why does everybody sit back and say you should have done this or that QUIT playing the blame game and get out there and help them. Do Not say you will help them just go help them. It is not about who's fault it is. The truth is these people need help and they need it now.They want their life back and you would to. Put yourself in their shoes bush if it was Texas you would NOT be fogged out by the war.

LETS HELP THEM EVERYBODY
Love you New ORLEANS

Shannon Lakes

what i would like to know is why our goverment can spend billions of our taxpayers money to rebulid Iraq, and when a natural dister stikes our country our own goverment just don't care. what is wrong with this picture

It's strange that we have a President who has time to go to India to give then nuclear assistance for mangoes but won't take time to help those suffering in our own country. We need the red tape cut NOW so the people on the coast can get back to their lives.

I think it's unfair that you can't get help to either rebuild or remove. How sad that you have to be looted when the answer is so clear. Let the homeowner decide.

Marcella Archibeque our prayers are with you. I can't imagine what you are going through and I pray that everything gets straightened out soon for you and others. We have not forgotten about you, while it may seem we have. Please take care.

its her house, she should decide what to do with it. i see nothing wrong with that if others on the registery got to destroy their houses.

The other side of the story - and I mean no disrespect BUT till you've seen it and helped to try and fix it....well, it's easy to arm-chair quarterback. I think the answers must come from those that lived it-give 'em hell NOLA. I have been there - I've walked the neighborhoods of NOLA - I surveyed the historic district homes/businesses that are slated for demo - if the programs worked like they should...there also wouldn't have been demo tags (placed by the FEMA subcontracted company that also "supposedly" had a FEMO demo contract)on the residential and commercial properties that were TOTALLY in tack. Sure, everyone had some damage but NOT all parts of the city were swept off their foundations. Where's the common sense and the committment to community/history/the people - please God don't let it all look like McMansion Pleasantville---New Orleans deserves better!

any thing historical should be salvaged...it's part of the heritage and culture of the south if it's fixable...use it in a new home....and give that place...a part of our past...by the way....looters should be shot!!!!

My name is Will Edmonds. I and 19 others from our small church in the small comunity of Barnardsville NC just returned from a trip to the Bay St. Louis, Waveland area (In Mississippi where the Most damage was incurred NOT New Orleans!) where we went to help with several different needs in those comunities. One of which was actually helping to clear Mrs. Archibeque's lot. In fact she is one of the last few we were able to help on the wednesday (2-22-06) before leaving the area. THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE CAN ACCURATELY WAY IN ON THIS SITUATUION UNLESS THEY HAVE BEEN THERE AND SPOKEN WITH THESE BROKEN-HEARTED PEOPLE AND "WALKED IN THEIR SHOES!" The government already has too much say in how we as "FREE" Americans live our own lives, but people want that same government to rebuild the entire region that does NOT belong to the government. The responsibilty of our government ends after ensuring that people have a way to survive and have the means to stay alive, and that people are being treated fairly and not being taken advantage of to the best of their ability. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REBUILDING FALLS SQUARLEY ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LIVE IN THIS REGION, AND ON THEIR NEIGHBORS, AND THE LOCAL CHURCHES AND VARIOUS CHARITY GROUPS. IT IS NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR GOVERNMENT TO HOLD US UP THAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILTY TO EACH OTHER AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST FIRTS OF ALL BUT ALSO AS FELLOW AMERICANS! ( A side note: America is directly responsible for much of the destruction in Iraq. That's why we need to spend money, time, and energy to rebuild another country! Katrina, and all of the other Hurricanes that devastated many places last year were in no way caused by or a responsibility of the United States Government!That's the difference!!!) God bless you all! Our prayers are with all of you who are suffering losses in the Gulf coasts!

Sorry to have to say it again, because y'all are so passionately caring, but guys: this is Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It's not NOLA, New Orleans, or Louisiana. Please! Even on a site dedicated to two towns in Mississippi, we seem to be invisible. This is OUR story! The hurricane HIT OUR COAST head on and no one seems to be able to hold that in their heads! 70 miles of our coast and as it says, hundreds of historic homes and thousands of others were destroyed. The Mississippi coast and it's people exist!

I'm glad you guys have a heart for New Orleans, but please, extend it a little to take in the fact that MISSISSIPPI got the brunt of the largest natural disaster in our country's history. There's nothing quite like being wiped off the map literally and figuratively, and no one acknowledging it. It's just getting a little old.

I do not understand the "logic" behind not destroying a historic home when it has been reduced to rubble. actually, it is already destroyed, it just needs to be cleaned up. I live in this town and see the mess these people are dealing with. What does the historical society want us to save? Rotten boards, broken windows? If they want it let them come and get it and help clean up. It is sad, I agree, that these houses are gone, but let's get real. The people living here own the land and need to get on with their lives.

I feel for the Victims of Katrina, I really do. But like one person mentioned here, the people of the Golden Triagle have been forgotten and completely overshadowed by Katrina. Rita did much damage to many areas and most as badly as Katrina, but the general public has not HEARD of Port Arthur or Port Neches or most towns in that area. YET, this is one of the MAJOR REFINERY AND GAS/OIL PRODUCING AREAS IN THE U.S.! With the energy prices rising every day there are people unable to go home to this area and therefore to their jobs in the Refinery Businesses. If there aren't sufficiant workers then the prouction will decrease which will raise prices. Again, our Gov't spends countless money on Iraq but has barely scratched the surface to help people in our own country, all along the Gulf Coast! Victims of both Rita and Katrina need to have normalcy returned. Even the barest thing such as electrical or plumbing. This is not a third world country, although sadly, some sections STILL look like it. And what is our President going to say? "Let them eat Mangos?"

Our prayers go out to all the people dealing with the bureaucratic red tape that is accompanying the clean-up process. These people have surely been through enough,your fellow Americans will continue to pray foryour homes to be rebuiltand your lives to return to normal.

My heart and prayers go out to the people in New Orleans but let us not forget that they were not the only ones hit by Katrina. You hear nothing about the people in Mississpi and all along the gulf that was hit. I agree with the comments made about our government. We can help everyone else rebuild and go forward but not our own country. Remind me why we pay taxes again!

I just returned from my Mardi Gras homecoming and was shocked to see just how paralyzed the City of New Orleans remains six months after Katrina. I spent some time visiting a friend,who lives in the Lakeview neighborhood, two blocks from the 17th street canal. He has had his FEMA trailor for several weeks, but is still unable to live in it. A man came to make the toilet work while I was visiting. Randy, my friend, is a very able-bodied man and has started his reconstruction/demolition on his own. He has removed most of the flooring and all of the dry-wall but in order to REALLY move forward he needs the levee situation to be completely resolved so that he might be able to get the homeowners insurance that he will need in order to finance his rebuild. He is stuck in the mud.
I had a great time hanging out with Randy during Mardi Gras. He never bitched or moaned, but the pain in his heart was obvious. People like Randy are the type of Americans that I want to celebrate.
Bush has got to go.

Don't give up, It's all a big game of the rich and powerfull to stall as long as possable so they can get your land for nothing. Who is in office right now. go figure. I really feel sorry for you all.

Hey Will Edmonds!! Hang on a minute! The reason our government IS responsible for helping the people in the Gulf Coast region is because the GOVERNMENT-BUILT levees failed! Remember the levees? Remember that they were built and maintained to withstand only a Category 3 hurricane? And remember that funding to repair and strengthen those very levees was cut out of the budget by the Bush administration. THAT's why the government is responsible for the damage.

The U.S.A. is a "capitalist" country. The government isn't interested in your problems unless your a lobbiest with deep pockets. The governments actions speak louder than their words. Some people just aren't listening. Don't you get it yet? After Katrina/Rita/Wilma you saw companies coming to save the day; for a price, double or triple the amount necessary. Now that they have theirs, they leave without really doing anything, and you're on your own.This I guarantee you: As long as "we" let our elected representitives in state & federal government get away with their obscene pandering to Big Money lobbiest instead of representing their constituents, nothing will change. Simply put Hurricanes=$, Politics=$, Wars=$, Education=$, Security=$, Justice=$, Healthcare=$, $$$$$$$ etc. Anything/everything for a price=capitalism.
If all you people had buckets of money you wouldn't be in the position you're in, now would ya. Its your fault/not your governments fault. "Think Abramhoff", Think Tom Delay","Think casinos". The very first talk of rebuilding anything in Miss. or La. was about rebulding the casinos. Laws were changed and money set aside for that cause.(common people your S.O.L.)
Now, about 30%-40% of you sheep out there(not naming names) will probably be angry at me for saying this given your disposition for intolerance towards anyone with a different viewpoint. The rest of you will hear & understand.
And for the record , my lifelong hometown in Texas was hit by Rita. 130mph winds. My house was damaged. I'm fixing it myself. Old Uncle Sam can give my money to some poor drug company or better yet he can help out our struggling oil companies.
Remember this:, "The Love of Money is the root of all evil.------In God We Trust!!!!!!!!!!" Thanks for nothing G-Dubbya.

FEMA strikes again!!! I hate seeing history erased, but if the home can't be salvaged, it can't. I don't understand, however, why FEMA isn't willing to save some of the homes by simply replacing them on their foundations. What stupidity, and what a tragedy.

It is scarey. What Charlie Farrell says is what I've been thinking for some time now. Ever since the Supreme Court okayed loval governments to take private citizens houses in order to build, not roads, but beachfront condos or shopping centers, to increase the local tax base, I have been wondering what is happening to this country. This happened in New Jersey, I think, before the storm hit us. But what's to keep it from happening down here, since it is the law of the land now? I hope all the people on the Coast are treated fairly, and are not taken advantage of. But why did the Supreme Court rule that way? Our rights as citizens are being trampled on by the government. I almost said "our" government, but it doesn't seem to be working that way anymore.

To Will & Laurie,

Extremely well said. Having grew up in Waveland, I dearly miss my little town very much and it breaks my heart to see what has happened to it. I still have lots of family there. Your comments are right on the money. God Bless to all of those volunteers who help families put there lives back together. You'll never know how much your appreciated.

I can not imagine how these people feel. I can read in shock at how they have been treated. ANd now how they can't start to fix or replace their homes. I did not notice something that happens up here, if someone is looting your home and gets hurt are you still legally responsable? I don't know what the answer is to keeping them out of damaged homes. Seems to me that might be a bit of leverage, see if you can hold FEMA or the Historical Society accountable if someone does get hurt. It would really be a shame to be a victim again by the system.

Dear Ms. Archibeque,
Please contact me about the removal of your home. Weepingwillow3744@yahoo.com.

I have been in MS for the past two weeks trying to arrange for my house to be "deconstructed" by Penn State University and The Green Project. They will save the old hardwood floors & the beams and maybe some other architectural details. So, some good news has come out of this and part of my wonderful old house will be used again & not incinerated or put in a landfill.

I was just down at the coast this past weekend and progress is slow. We really do not need a bunch of idiots hindering the process. I saw lots of houses like hers that need to be cleared and new history started. There are plenty of "historic" places in Ms.
Afterall, we are the slowest growing state.

Amen Will and Laurie!!!! I too am from Waveland and I say what about us? New Orleans destruction happened after the storm, a day or two later. Ours happened as soon as Katrina's eye hit us head on! Thank you Will and your group! No words can express our thanks to groups like you!

Ok about a year ago i lived on the GULF coast in Diamondhead MS i am so sorry for the ruin of your town.

I am an Australian, I read with horror what devastation the hurricanes bring in America, the fact that President Bush is "best friends" with John Howard constantly causes me worry.

If the non caring attitude that he carries towards his own countrymen is to continue, where will the world find it's morals?

We are supposed to be fighting for FREEDOM the world over, and yet those of us that own our own piece of land, don't get to say what we do with it?

God bless you all, may a resolution be very close at hand.

Marcella, just build a small fire.....and leave....that should take care of it....if you want it gone....old wood catches on FAST!!!!

Andy - I'm with you! You wouldn't believe how many people said next time they will light it on fire before they evacuate and then the insurance companies will HAVE to pay - I'm sure most of these people were joking, but I guarantee you that with what we are all having to deal with regarding insurance, some are not joking!!! Like our Congressman, Gene Taylor, said - he thinks that Insurance Executives should have to register just as Sex Offenders do, because he holds them to the same esteem! It is an absolute crime, not to mention sin, what the insurance companies are doing to us - we paid our entire lives those healthy premiums and now they are saying that the 40' wall of water that came in had nothing at all to do with the 140mph winds that caused it! - Unbelievable! If I had to pick one thing that is causing the slow recovery (other than debris removal) is people waiting and fighting with their insurance companies - as if we have the emotional, mental and physical strenght left to do that!!
Hang in there Marcella and hopefully you contacted Robbie Sherman from Texas - I just got the feeling from his post that he would make it happen for you - I've come to realize that those who are helping the most are those people of few words and plenty of action! Please let us know how you are progressing!

I was born and raised in Mississippi, and remember the beautful homes and moss draped trees of Biloxi, gulfport, and Pass Christian. I only hope that this careless demoliton and construction won't turn that lovely unique area into anoter ubiquitous row of condos. I can see the developers lickig their lips.

I agree with Andy. Accidents can happen! Salvage something from it and bring that history to your new home. Hang in there.

while Katrina didn't do much damage here....job loss ..does.....lose your job....because...the jobs went to other countries...."NAFTA"....thanks president Clinton......an "accident"...like Marni says ...might be the answer for a morgage....you can't pay...without a job....if your insurance is paid.....BUT when the firetruck dumps water on the house...insurance...will probably call it "flood damage".......man i guess i'm just disscusted....yeah they did it to me also {my Basement}..."flood damage"....I said sh**....I live on a hill....then i asked the adjustor....if i was covered for FIRE....he hit da door.....runnin'...i ain't changed companies....cause non are worth a sh**...when you really need em

As a resident of Biloxi I must say I am appalled by the media and by so many of the idiots in this country that have tunnel vision on New Orleans. To all of you who think this story was about New Orleans, WAKE UP! It was about Mississippi!

Not only do you morons seem to think the only place hit by Katrina was NEW ORLEANS you are too stupid to realize that NEW ORLEANS was damaged by flood water, the hurricane had already passed over. Nagan tried to hide his indigent citizens from the world so that no one would know what a slumlord he is and he got caught with his pants down. I feel badly for the people of New Orleans but take a long hard look, much more of Louisiana was damaged than just New Orleans, and you can add Mississippi and Alabama to the figures also.

You all sound like Bush who wants to earmark money for only the New Orleans community. I have friends in Louisiana who are as appalled as I am by the fact that everyone else has been forgotten. Take a good look people, there was a far greater area than New Orleans damaged! And for those of you that commented on New Orleans here in response to the house, well, learn to read and to interpret what you read accurately before commenting.

To those who have not forgotten all the communities in addition to New Orleans that were damaged, a very heartfelt thank you.

Why is the gov't and all of us responsible for all of these people building or buying homes on land that belongs underwater..? Why do we in Wisconsin have to pay for that..? When my home is ravaged by a tornado, it's a bit different.. I didn't build my home in a tornado incubator, and I don't expect the Gov't to provide me with somewhere to live, living expenses, and a new home.. When you play with gas, why do you cry when you're on fire..? Put another way; When the fool in California builds his house on a mudslide infested bank by the ocean and the rains take it down the hill, isn't he just getting what he asked for? And are the people of New Orleans busting out their checkbooks to pay for it..? They shouldn't be.. shouldn't have to.. shouldn't feel obligated.. We all make choices.. Make a choice and live on dry land.. Don't get me wrong, I am all about helping my fellow man; at least the ones that want to help themselves.. but if you stand in the train tracks, don't expect me to feel bad for you when you get hit, and don't whine about it...

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT OUR GOVERMENT SHOULD BE CONSIDERING NOT SUPPLYING ANY AID FOR SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD FOR A WHILE UNTIL THE GULF COAST IS ADDRESSED,DON'T YOU THINK OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN SHOULD RECIEVE AID FIRST REBUILD OUR LAND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUILT THIS COUNTRY,THE GOVERMENT COULD CUT THE RED TAPE SO THESE OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN COULD GO ON WITH THERE LIVES.......

There is so much history in this area I agree that some of the homes that were directily involved with history, should be salvaged, but I also feel that if the stucture is not sound, or if the damage is that significant, that the dwelling should come down, not everyone has the funds to restore some of these homes, it is shame that history gets lost, but it is also a shame when the history of a home is put before the peron or persons that lived there.

i guess the homes being built back today....will someday....be considered "historic"....build them right so they will last....be a part of history..in the future

Hello all .
I live in Laurel , MS .
We here was blessed with only 65 per cent of homes and business damage .
Loss of life ? Yes , that too .
I have read many inputs here and agree with most .
There was many things that went bad here .
We all know of the price gouging and long lines trying to get basics like gas , food , beer , ...
There was no realiable source of information nor aid in many wards here for long periods of time .
Most in my area donot own transportation .
Several times I loaded my little Sentra with my neighbors to go find ICE and food and the National Guard would only give us ONE BAG of ice to split between us . One of my neighbors has 12 children .
I and my elderly mother made it though . I got hurt bad when the power was finally restored and my neighbor's house caught fire and they lost everything .
The transformer was messed up . To big a hurry restoring the power without checking the connections .
BTW there are still peeps living in tents on our coast who really need the help of all Americans even from those yankees up North because we in Mississippi has always helped our Country in times of need !
How about returning the favor instead of bitching .

Just remember that you can out of your own pockets demolish history and the state nor federal can stop you. Looks like me you are doing this for FREE!!

OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW. let us just move on with our life

I just visited Mississippi this past November and it was devastating all the way up to Hattiesburg! I was so appalled that our Government has let this happen. We paid all this money to these people who expect the Government to take care of them and now we have been taken advantage of by the very ones that we tried so terribly to help. How many thousands of FEMA trailers did I pass on 49 heading towards Purvis??? I couldn't tell you. Thousands, and when I got there with my truck to help (for free now) I couldn't because I had to see a contractor to get hired on. So I asked them, when do these trailers get to the people that need them? The answer, well no answer, and they asked me to leave. I asked another couple who came from Indiana with a small trailer attached to the back of their truck and they said they have made trip after trip on the Government dime and then gave me a number to contact to get hired on. I don't want to get hired on! I wanted to help while I was there. I called FEMA. They wouldn't help, couldn't help, it was in the hands of the contractors now. WHAT? My husband and I stayed with a couple from just across Camp Shelby who was also prior military and they were also devastated. No phone service for months, no good, safe water. This is miles away from New Orleans now!!! I never made it into New Orleans, but what can those of us who can help do? We have been run out. We donate, and donate and watch as olympic size swimming pools are build in Balad in Iraq, and Bases overseas are upgraded daily. Shame on you President Bush, and both my husband and I have served for you in your great military. When do we get the chance to help out our America? Shame on all who voted for him, unless you deny that he was even an opponent now, and shame on you for not researching him and his "goals" before now. Look where we are today. Our country will not be in need of a historical society, because we will not be able to survive. Only the rich, and with outsourcing and other opportunities who would see anything but poverty remaining in this country? Even the rich can't get a break anymore. It is an ugly form of communism, and we have to wake up. I've already talked to my Senator, and made waves all the way up the Southern states with my ill thoughts towards this Government. My husband and I are treated as if we should just keep our mouths shut and follow the President in whatever militaristic action he takes. Well, you spend 18 months in Iraq and come home to try and help those of your own, get shunned and still see nothing done!! God Bless America....

I'm so ashamed of how our leaders have handled the relief help for the Gulfcoast Katrina victims. I visited Ms a few weeks ago and I could not believe how people are still having to live. No excuses are good enough to explain the reasons our government can not do more and do it quicker. If this was a home of a congressmen or senator legistation would have already been passed to render relief. I'm so sorry and so ashamed.

I understand the pain and loss these people feel. Aside from all the red tape and frustration we need to keep one thing in mind, its already the end of March, in less than 9weeks we have to get ready again. Preparations have to be made for those than have started to rebuild and those waiting to start. Either way decisions are taking way to long.

I just find it hard to beleive that there is anyone in this country who is still slinging criticism at any of the victims of Katrina. All of you who fit into that catagory need a reality check and a trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, in particular the Bay-Waveland area or Pass Christian. You need a week or so of eating MRE's, sleeping in a tent amidst debris and foul smelling ditch water, and 10 hours a day of gutting houses that were flooded, all the while without running water. Granted, most people now have running water and a toilet that flushes. Gee, some people have actually managed to hang drywall and set up beds in and unpainted house with an exposed slab or a new plywood floor. And all of the people that I have been in contact with during my stays in the area since the storm exhibit an incredible determination to make their lives, homes and towns whole again. They greet you with smiles and the kind of warmth that most of us have rarely experinced when going about life in our own communities. They tell you they are fine when they are living in a trailer and have spent the day scraping the last of the sheetrock off of the wood framing so that the wood can be treated for mold. And most of them go to work at day jobs while they spend their evening and weekends working on whatever they have left to work on. You critcs just don't know what suffering is. Are you sure you aren't a memebr of the Bush family?

The only way the coast can regain the uniqueness that made her great is by preserving her history. We cannot stop the developers from taking some land, but I implore the people who stay to remain true to the beautiful architecture that made the mississippi coast different from so many other gulf beach towns. When I close my eyes and think of home, it is those historic homes lining the beach that I see. There should be grants to absorb the extra expense involved in restoration. Please be outraged. Please pressure the government to create these sorts of grants. Give the people with the ability to rebuild home, the POWER to rebuild.

That report was about Mississippi people...some people seem to think the hurricane touched down in New Orleans and then picked back up and was gone. South Mississippi got the worst of the storm. If I hear one more person only refer to New Orleans I'm going to scream.

To CW in Falls Church - I too find it amazing that people continue to criticize the victims of Katrina. What I also find amazing is that people continue to criticize the Bush administration (and in your case, family!)for the disaster. It is obvious that we have problems with our disaster response plan, all the way from local and state governments up. No doubt many lessons are being learned at the expense of the gulf coast residents. But in my opinion, the amount of aid and support this region is receiving is unprecedented. The money and resources are coming; local and state contractors and agencies seem determined to siphon a very unfair portion of it for themselves. So if we're going to play the blame game, lets spread it out to all who deserve it, not just Mr. Bush.

So typical of our for the people government. Maybe these people should apply for non-profit organization status, seek out loans for immigrants, seek out someone to lobby on their behalf, then default on the loans, fire the lobbiest after they find out he did nothing for them then board a plane to iraq and find out where one trillion dollars
(1,000,000,000,000,000)that put countless generations at risk for more of the same that could of helped them 1000's of times over and 1,000's of times faster. martin gleba phoenix az

Holy Cow!!!! The lady just wants to get her lot cleaned up and move on. Why is it that everytime someone speaks up about an issue with the "storm" that it turns into a political bashing of the Bush administration? The President has no more authority to bring on such a storm as I do and I assure you I certainly do not! I worked two blocks off the beach in Gulfport for 15 years and saw many storms come and then go; we all know what may happen yet we choose to live and work in the area. Its kinda like driving 65 in a 55mph zone, you know in your heart your chances of getting caught increase each time you exceed the speed limit. I don't mean to down play the situation but....get real! All she wants is to cut the tape and get on with it; seems pretty simple to me. By the way, I'm still cleaning up debris at my home and farm and I'm 45 miles off the coast due north of Bay St Louis.

I continue to see and hear of the devastation that these poor people are dealing with. What I want to know is, are we better prepared for the next one-- the next hurricane, earthquake, terrorist attack- can we count on our government for a well developed plan of action? Has this horrible tragedy been for nothing? If we've learned one thing, it's that America's citizens have a huge heart for helping. Can the government get it's act together, or do we need to start acting on our own to get things ready? It will happen again!!

I know may of you are hurting. I spent three years there in Biloxi with my family. We were blessed to receive our orders just before the hurricane hit so we were safe. We have been back and are surprised at how little is done towards clean up. There is still garbage on the grounds of our community where we lived and where people still live (our building was destroyed). I have dear friends who are working to reclaim their lives without the bitterness that I am hearing. It will take a positive attitude and determination to help the MS coast regain its heritage. I was of mixed mind to see the casinos damaged because they are a financial boon to the economy, but I don't want to see them return at the price of the average person who lives there. I am saddened at the loss of the history in Waveland, Diamondhead, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, and the cities further inland and I hope to see the cities rise like the Phoenix to be reborn.

I find it incredible that some poor victims of these acts of nature are unable to move on because of being stuck in a perpetual loop of governmental and insurance red tape. They are asking people to move on and rebuild, yet for some people, the government are themselves the ones preventing progress. A natural disaster being followed by a bureaucratic disaster. Certainly not what these victims need or deserve no matter if they are in NOLA, Mississippi or Alabama. Heartfelt prayers to ALL OF YOU.

i live in Adelaide, Sth Australia. As sad as it is we all must get on with life and just rebuild our society into something bigger and better. I really feel for all of you on the Gulf Coast, my heart and prayers are with you. I just wish there was something i could do for you all.

Isn't this Anerica?...if you own something...shouldn't you be able to do with it whatever you want?....I hope your lot is cleared by now Marcella

unfortunatly I have to live in another country or be an illegal alien to get help from my government.....
But I will say we did get a lot of new criminals in our town...THANKS FEMA..and you to GEORGE

Whatever happened to people solving their own problems? We don't want the government in our bedrooms, but we sure do want them in our yards when the trash needs to be cleared. Stop whining, and stop wallowing in victim-osis. Sometimes I wonder why my buddies and I spent careers in the military insuring that Americans had the freedom to build and buy houses in hurricane, flood, earthquake and tornado zones.

I HAVE AN OLD BANK BUILDING ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC BLDGS IN IOWA. WHEN I HAD IT LISTED, I WAS TOLD THAT IN THE FUTURE I COULD DO ANYTHING I WANTED WITH IT INCLUDING RAZING THE STRUCTURE. NOW I WONDER IF THAT IS TRUE.
SHIRLEY, IOWA

Hurricane Katrina has unmistakably demonstrated just how costly and dangerous it is to live right along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which is so completely open to the fury of storms coming in off the Gulf of Mexico.

Global warming is increasing its influence rapidly, causing more extremes in the weather year after year. Therefore, we can realistically expect more very powerful hurricanes like Katrina and Rita to strike the Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas Gulf coasts, wiping out everything in front ot them.

The pressing question which everyone living in this area needs to ask themselves is this: SHOULD ANY OF US SERIOUSLY CONSIDER rebuilding our homes and businesses ANYWHERE closer than ten miles of the Gulf Coast?

Everyone whose homes and/or businesses were destroyed, whether in Gulfport, Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, or Pass Christian, must be thinking long and hard these days about the wisdom of rebuilding their homes in this storm-prone coastal region, and exposing themselves to yet another disaster.

I feel very bad for everyone who lost their loved ones, personal belongings and mementos, jobs and property to Katrina and Rita. It is inexcusable that eight months later so many of them are still being prevented by bureaucratic red tape from rebuilding their homes and their lives.

Like them I, too, mourn the devastatingly tragic loss of their beautiful and historic Mississippi Gulf Coast - which two winters ago I had the great pleasure of enjoying and stopping to visit as I made my way from Mobile to New Orleans along old US highway 90. I loved the graceful and very fine ante-bellum homes and the splendid live oaks which lined the highway for miles.

Regrettably the time has come when everyone must finally face up to the hard reality of seriously considering abandoning once and for all time this immediate coastal region, which should be allowed to return to its former natural, uninhabited state.

Rebuild, yes, but far enough inland and away from the coast (perhaps ten miles or even more) to avoid the farthest reaches of the horrendous storm surges which, with increased global warming, are bound to return with greater frequency and power to once again overwhelm and destroy everything standing in their way.

To me, this is the only logical course of action to take. What do you think should be done?

Eric Talbot
Chicago, :Illinois

In 1955 there was a heavy winter snow fall over several weeks in northern California and then a warm rain which reduced the snow level and increased the water level. This was called the Yuba City- Eel River flood of 1955. We lived through the ensuing disaster unlike the many that lost their lives before, during, and after the "wild weather" event of 1955. Our neighbor and landlord lost everything he'd scrimped and saved over 40+ years including his life trying to save what he could. West of Sacramento the highway is elevated 35-40 feet above the valley floor and farming takes place beneath the highway. On this highway, the light standards were another 20+ feet above the railing on the roadway making the height of the water over 50 feet deep on the valley floor as the light standards were not to be seen by the aircraft that filmed the flood. Homes, dreams, businesses and yes, lives were lost. We were still finding bodies trapped in their cars months later that attempted to flee the storm. We did not have any federal agency like FEMA only a bunch of farmers, loggers and people that pitched in with their equipment to help where we could and share what was left. What we lost was replaced by far better gifts and sacrafices, that of the friendships and appreciation that there are others out there that do care and step up to do the heavy lifting and the blotting of the tears that are sure to fall. If those of you are looking for someone to blame, blame me! I never ordered the storm nor bragged that I'd been through far worse that any storm on the horizon, so I wasn't leaving. I didn't order the snowfall that I lived through or the saturated mess that followed. No one to blame only lots to help. Ike called it a terrible distruction, though no one suggested that he take the blame for it. He did send the Army to assist the National Guard and the Navy dispatched some boats to help the Corps of Engineers figure out what was there. We didn't have live tv crews to show us what we faced, only journalists, some with cameras even, that drove pickups, pumped gas, and administered first aide where they could. This country is composed of volunteers, dreamers and just plain observers. In the first group, the volunteers, there is no bigger challenge than getting started to make something happen. They thrive on a sense of accomplishment! Then there is the second group, the dreamers that can only remember what it was like before and know that it will never be the same again so they accept the event as terminal and move on to begin again another dream. Now the observers are eager to offer advice, speculate on what went wrong and look for someone to sue or blame all the while invoking the name of someone that should have known or done something to calm the storm. Now into this mix we find those civil servants busting their belts to organize something but everyone knows that you cannot organize anything without a plan. Someone has a plan , Right? Can we find someone at the University that made up a plan of some sort? Any plan will do as long as there is activity to be controlled, kinda like field strippin cigarette butts in the Army. Hell, for that matter if no one can find a plan, write to almost any big city government and they will have an assortment that you can choose from. Some states have so many plans that have been studied over repeatedly that they are like Dudley Stamps books on "Geography of...". Dont touch the verbs, the nouns are ifffy, adjectives are to be respected unless an adverb may be used instead. You get what I mean? Original thought should never be used when with no effort at all we can recycle the plan over again make a movie of it and then "fix it in post". I can appreciate the sorrow, the loss and the aprehension that comes when your time is short, money even shorter and government appears to be standing in the way (probably lookin' for a plan), a wife whose eyes are growing dim still manages a smile and suggests that I volunteer for something (meybe to get me out from under her feet). Women, especially wives are like that, a man needs to give them some space, though not too often, or they'll get real creative with your time. I have a great country, a great family and a home full of memories that is falling down around me. The blessing that is supreme is the friendships that I've been a part of and had the chance to share with others. An Old Army buddy, Maxmillian Gibbs from New Iberia, La. I hope is okay, as I haven't seen him in about 50 years. It has been a great ride Lord, let her rip!

Well said, Eric Talbot. I, too, mourn the loss of all the wonderful places on the Gulf that we have all enjoyed on holidays for years and years. But the economic and personal disaster of Katrina calls for a rethink of the development of the coast. Yes, please rebuild, but back far enough that all the residential areas will not be so vulnerable to devastation. Commercial establishments are far easier to insure, and surely less precious personally than family homes. Let's all enjoy the coast again without the constant threat of destruction to families and homes.

Whether historic or not if it is not in livable condition, then knock it over if something is useless then get rid of it. If the engineers want do it then she should rent a bulldozer and do it her self to make a point.
The reason for Rebuilding the casinos in Biloxi and other areas was because thats where most of the jobs and income came from for that city. Its no a Political conspiracy like some seem to think. And I might as well add this I was in Biloxi When Katrina hit. I saw devastation and dead bodies, the likes of which I hope to never see again. But I did what I could to help. Anyways what some fail to realize is that even if Bush was able to act in time that his orders would of gotten tangled in so much political BS that nothing could of gotten done. It was FEMA that dropped the ball on this one. I think that they miscalculated how bad it would be like they did with denise, they were thinking that it would have the same outcome and that was there mistake. If anything that was the main mistake made. Bush is exactly what this Country needs. Someone with a backbone. God bless the USA! We are the greatest country. And the proof is that whiners and protesters aren't shot for being anti American. Bush is our president and whether I like it or not I will support him for the samke of showing the enemy a united country.

THE CRUCIAL QUESTION:

SHOULD MISSISSIPPIANS REBUILD AS BEFORE RIGHT ALONG THEIR STATE'S COASTLINE?

OR, GIVEN THE NEW REALITY OF GLOBAL WARMING AND THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THERE WILL BE MORE STORMS LIKE KATRINA, SHOULD EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO STAY AND REBUILD THEIR HOMES IN THIS REGION BE REQUIRED TO RE-LOCATE TEN OR MORE MILES FARTHER INLAND AWAY FROM THE COAST, SO THAT THEY WILL BE SPARED GUARANTEED DESTRUCTION BY FUTURE STORM SURGES?

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT IT WAS KATRINA'S THIRTY-FOOT-HIGH STORM SURGE, MORE THAN HER HIGH WINDS, WHICH WIPED OUT MISSISSIPPI'S GULF-COASTAL COMMUNITIES.

Please focus on, think carefully about, and contribute your good ideas and input to this two-part question. Thank you!

It is so important to think this one through very thoroughly before rebuilding. Everyone has seen the awful and unprecedented devastation Katrina wrought upon the area.

Sadly, more storms of this magnitude are going to hit, and with increasing frequency, so the time has come for everyone to relocate inland. (Refer to my earlier post dated March 27, 2006.)

WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WANTS TO REBUILD WHERE THEY WERE, ONLY TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS AGAIN?

If a person were to drive north in the state of Mississippi as far as interstate 20 they may be able to understand the real damaging winds that traveled through. I have seen it and know Mississippi was hit by something that I hope no area in the world has to experience again.

Mac, thanks for that piece of history...and your insite and logic...bless ya!

Mr. Talbot maintains that what wiped out much of the
MS Gulf Coast was the surge, rather than the wind.

I should mention that this is a big bone of contention
right now, as various lawsuits are springing up to
argue this very fact.

Congressman Gene Taylor has some computer model
results which show that the wind peaked before the
surge did. It is entirely likely that the surge
arrived to flow over already ruined buildings. There
are many eyewitnesses on the coast who attest to the
same thing.

A further question:

Given ALL of the Gulf Coast's vulnerability to
storms, should we maintain that ALL of the Gulf
Coast relocate to higher ground? Seems fair -
sea level is sea level. So goodbye Gulf Shores.
Later Destin. So long Pensacola.

Then what about the Atlantic? North Carolina gets
creamed all the time. South Carolina got smacked
good by Hugo. Georgia is a sitting duck. Heck,
the Virginia coastline got bothered by Isabel,
with inland flooding all the way to Annapolis,
MD.

Lose 'em. Let's move 10 miles inland.

Makes sense to me.

Man...seen where insurance ain't even paying right on Beauriove...that's the d*** president's home....God bless Jeff Davis....whatever company it is should be expelled from the south!

Can people in the South get a permit for small fires, like a bonfire? If you can then I would be taking it one day at time and piece by piece burning the garbage that is left of these houses instead of filling up landfills. All this wasted time of trying to get through the red tape of FEMA and our government when half the work could have already been done, if not completed, it has been seven months since Hurricane Katrina & Hurricane Rita. Just a thought! The people in this country need to start using their heads instead of their mouths.

Thursday, 30 March 2006

Dear R.BSL,
thank you for your input in response to my statement that the storm surge did most of the damage to property along the Mississippi coast.

I was not there to witness the impact of the storm for myself, as were so many others, so I don't have any personal observations with which to back up my assertion, which I based on what I read in other accounts of what happened.

The chances are that BOTH the wind AND the storm surge contributed mightily to the damage, but how much of it to attribute to either seems very much open to debate.

Moving everyone ten or more miles inland would certainly avoid damage from future storm surges, but might perhaps only mildly blunt the force of the wind. At least houses would not be swamped and knocked apart by the powerful on-rush of flooding from seawater, even if they sustained considerable damage otherwise from the wind (fallen trees, blown-off roofs, impact from wind-blown objects, etc., etc.).

There would be some advantage, it seems to me, to relocating inland far enough to at least avoid the direct impact from seawater (my understanding is that there WAS a thirty-foot-high wall of water in Katrina's storm surge, which must have dealt an enormous blow). People would not have to cope with all the muddy salt-water-logged mess left behind by a storm surge, even if there was a lot of rainwater intrusion.

No matter how this argument resolves itself, the fact remains that everyone living immediately along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States is now more susceptible than ever to severe damage to, not to mention outright destruction of, their property from hurricanes.

What has recently and fundamentally changed is that global warming has now entered itself into the storm-damage equation and is increasing the probability that more frequent, powerful and destructive hurricanes will occur.

Global warming is a climatic change which we regrettably must now take into consideration as we draw up our plans to rebuild our homes in this devastated region.

Respectfully submitted,

Eric Talbot.

Andy - you think that's bad - FEMA isn't even paying alot of the privately owned RV parks and land owners that have allowed FEMA to house people in trailers on their property! - as a TV personality said the other night - "Don't worry - the Government is already preparing for this hurricane season - they are already stockpiling excuses!!"

Welcome to the world of Big Government, where common sense does not exist! My advice is: buy a sledgehammer and ask for volunteers to help you accomplish what the State and Local governments never will: "Taking Action"

very sorry about your drastic troubles i will continue to pray for you ,hopefully you will get a first class levy system so this never happens again

Mr. Talbot,
In response to your previous two posts, I would like to interject. Relocating the residential populations of coastal Mississippi (as well as, I'm assuming, the populations of every state with a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean up to about Virginia) 10 miles inland, aside from being economically unfeasible, logistically impossible and might I say a red-hot button of vehement contention among these residents, would not solve the problem of tidal flooding destruction. The Katrina tidal surge, 30+ feet in most places, wiped out everything on the beach at least five to six blocks up from the beach in my hometown of Long Beach, Mississippi as well as along the beach in Gulfport. Then there was two or three blocks where the houses were heavily damaged but still standing, some of which have been torn down, others are being or have been repaired. But there are houses about 1/2 mile from the beach that were not affected by tidal surge at all, or else took in some water but were repairable and have been repaired and are being lived in now. My own house is about two miles from the beach and did not flood. Many houses in my neighborhood did not flood, and many, many houses within 10 miles of the beach all along the coast suffered no flooding whatsoever and minimal to moderate wind damage, were repaired quickly and are being lived in. Conversely, many homes that were more than 10 miles inland in Diamondhead, Kiln, Orange Grove, D'Iberville, Delisle, Lyman, even Saucier (20 miles north of beach!)were destroyed when the tidal surge pushed up into the mouth of the rivers, not allowing these rivers to continue to drain into the gulf as well as raising the overall level of the water, flooding the estuaries and low-lying areas, which caused the water to follow the path of least resistance into people's neighborhoods. I can only speak for the Mississippi Gulf Coast where I am a resident, but I imagine that other states' coastal regions have features that would make it equally unfeasible and ineffective to relocate their entire coastal populations 10 miles inland. Also I personally don't buy the whole "global warming" thing with its doomsday forecast of increasingly severe catastrophic weather events, although I do think we are heading into a period of increased activity for hurricanes no different than what has been occurring for countless millenia. I seem to remember not too long ago the northern parts of the country having their "coldest winters on record" and everyone talking about how we were heading into the new ice age. The destruction of Katrina was unprecedented, as evidenced by the stately beachfront homes along the Mississippi gulfcoast, some of which were built in the 1850's and have withstood countless hurricanes in their life, only to be totally obliterated by what had to be the only 30 foot tidal surge to hit Mississippi in the last 150 years or so.

The only thing historic here is the B.S.

To Mr. Talbot.

I would also respectfully submit that, as rising
sea levels occur, Chicago is also not immune to
the resulting effects, should the water rise high
enough to reverse the flow in the St. Lawrence
Seaway. While you probably would not get increased
flooding, you might get more salt water intrusion,
which would affect your water supply and your
aquatic habitat.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Dear Mike Scheid,

I truly appreciate your very-well-written and articulate response to my two posts. You have greatly clarified and rounded out my understanding of the issues involved in moving everyone inland - and what you say here will, I hope, allow people to more confidently and intelligently decide whether or not to rebuild their heavily-damaged or totally-destroyed homes in their former locations.

I agree: moving everyone inland would be most contentious and impractical - and your comments shed a welcome light on what people really SHOULD CONSIDER: AVOID REBUILDING in storm-surge-affected areas, including those quite far inland up river estuaries where such flooding took place (according to your account).

Would you agree with me that at the very least it would be wise for people NOT to rebuild in locations closest to the beaches, and inland up rivers open to the Gulf - namely, anywhere where the storm surge caused the most severe damage?

As far as global warming's influence upon the probability and/or strength of future hurricanes is concerned, I respectfully choose to disagree with you, while acknowledging that global warming is a subject very much open to debate. You MIGHT be right about it; then, again, I MIGHT be right. Not everyone is agreed upon this, yet, but I must say that many well-respected scientists are coming to the conclusion that global warming has indeed kicked in, and consider it the major cause of the recent increase in the rate of glacial melt, etc..

I fervently hope that your take on global warming is the right one, because no one wants to re-experience the destruction which would be caused by another hurricane as intense as Katrina was.

In any event, Mike, I heartily thank you once more for your excellent contribution to this discussion, and I wish the best for you and everyone around you who are working so hard to recover from this disaster.

Sincerely,

Eric Talbot.

MR. Talbot, you have oviously never been around a hurricane....10 miles inland?....respectfully....that ain't nothing...shoot all us folks should come as far as Chicago....if another one like this comes....trust me hurricanes are EVIL....but if we all moved that far north...would'nt it be crowded?

To Michelle in Michigan, we've had so many burn bans because of the amount of debris. When we could burn, we did. But then the next day a new ban would be in effect. You would not bellieve the number of fires that have "got away" from people burning. Our fire departments have been meeting themselves going and coming from them. I'm talking about where I live, 90 miles from the Coast. But the Coast has had burn bans also. I agree with you that it would be the fastest way to get rid of the debris, though.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

GLOBAL WARMING is the front-cover item in this week's TIME MAGAZINE, which has made it the subject of a special issue. This is the April 3, 2006 issue of the weekly newsmagazine TIME, now on newsstands.

TIME's Cover Page states: BE WORRIED.
BE VERY
WORRIED.

Global Warming is most relevant to our discussions here.

Having worked with historic homes, Is it possible that the damaged homes might be razed with the condition that the new design recreates elements of the original facade/look of the home? And perhaps extra funds if they do so.

Mr Talbot,
Thank you for your response. We are definitely in agreement on a few issues, chiefly the topic of should people rebuild their homes in zones at high risk for tidal surge destruction that will inevitably repeat itself? There are areas here in coastal Mississippi that would flood frequently even before Katrina, that were obliterated by Katrina. In my humble opinion, if these areas were already susceptible to flooding before a major hurricane came ashore, then it would be foolish, self-defeating and dangerous to continue to rebuild in them and just hope for the best. I personally know of a few families who are using their insurance, FEMA and/or SBA loan money to get out of harm's way and rebuild their homes- not necessarily 10 miles from the beach, but in areas that were unaffected by Katrina tidal surge.(Incidentally, these homesites have jumped astronomically in value since the hurricane.)People who choose to stay and rebuild in these high-risk areas are also finding their homeowner's insurance companies not wanting to assume that risk with them, and are cancelling or failing to renew homeowner's policies or demanding that they raise the elevation of the homesite before rebuilding. As far as the people who live inland along rivers and estuaries, the amount of money that their homeowner's insurance is going to go up(if they can even keep their coverage!), as well as how their insurance companies treated them during this present crisis, will be major factors playing into their decision to stay put or relocate.
Global warming is a topic that I admittedly am not as familiar with as yourself, and don't feel qualified to offer more than simply my opinion on, except to say that there is no clear consenus among the qualified scientists, climatologists, etc. yet and that more studies must be made and more data collected. However if global warmimg is indeed a reality, it will make the entire topic of moving the coastal populations of the southeastern United States 10 miles inland a moot point, because if the polar icecaps melt, the new South and Eastern coastline of the U.S. will be the Appalachian, Blue Ridge and Ozark Mountains!
Thank you once again for your insightful, intelligent commentary. And thank you as well for wishing us the best as we dig out of all of this. We still have a long way to go, but some progress is visible in our communities. The azaleas are in bloom, too.

Yankees still dont understand...!?!

Even historical homes, when devastated by natural events, need to be torn down. Building anew is better than having to deal with the pain of having to look at the destruction every day, with no remedy.
Keep plugging, Mrs. Archibeque!

Mary Van Pelt's message kind of fell into this discussion like a tablespoon of wine into a bucket of sewage - it got lost. She said she'd been arranging for the re-use elsewhere of parts of her irreparably damaged historic home. I hope some architectural salvage operators from other parts of the country will go to the Gulf Coast to buy what can be salvaged, helping finance rebuilding for the folks who choose to rebuild. People here in Ohio pay top dollar for old-growth woods for vintage house restoration projects. Or better yet, maybe local Gulf Coast salvage yards could be set up for re-useable building materials to be put back into the newly-built homes? Make one new home out of what's left of three or four old ones plus some new materials (windows, drywall)?

Sorry to burst everyones bubble about the beautiful olds streets of Gulfport and Biloxi, but those scenes were scarred years ago by the hideous, gaudy casinos that were brought in. I say let the casino owners foot some of the bill for clean up, reconstruction, whatever. The promise of better schools from the tax revenues from casinos played out long ago. It's time the money hungry big shot casino owners put something back into the state of Mississippi. Oh yea, I agree with many of you. The hurricane hit MISSISSIPPI, not New Orleans.

Chicago itself has had flood damaged from hurricanes. If you know anything about meteorology you knnow that storm systems don't just dump their rain and dissipated in one area. Asheville, NC was also damaged by Ivan ...300 miles from the coast and in the mountains. I know both of these things because I have lived though them both.

As to everyone ever affected by these hurricanes...good luck and we won't forget...even us yankees... (only a 1st generation btw. We're from MS too.)