I feel the people of Bay St. Louis are very thankful to the Calvary Chapel's that have contributed. Creating Camp Hope, feeding hundreds three meals a day. Even providing Christmas dinner and gifts for the Children. We should all feel responsible to help.

i would'nt worry much about sewage....the other things are what scares me....before you really only had to look for jellyfish...an ocasional shark...i can deal with those....but the metal, glass and objects of unknown discription...worry me...don't go in without shoes for sure

What is not noted is that wounds from this type of debris is more likely to become infected or require a tetnus booster. Decay and rusting will break this type of debris down making it even worse. If walking on the sand requires shoes, I would not let my kids in the water without shoes at the very least!

If you are going in, be sure your tetnus shot is up to date.

Environmental Disaters up and down the entire Gulf cCoast is what we have. Human infrastructure does not belong so close to the coast. Our entire ecosystem would be better off if we retreated inland a mile. What's a mile? Oh I forgot, we want all the conveniences of A/C, running water, and a regridgerator EVERYWHERE we go. The wussification of America has already happened. As a world travelled 5th generation on both sides of my family I am firmly convinced Americans are STUPID when it comes to lifestyle and how to live with the natural world.

It will probably take years for all the debris to be found ... if ever. What with the tides during the storm and regular tides since there will probably be items washing up on the islands or on shore in 2025. I will probably wear at least diving booties from now on.

I can't believe the local community is so ignorant as to still allow the beaches to be open with these known issues. Clearly they have failed in their public safety responsibility and should be removed from office immediately and tried on endangerment charges.

I agree with part of what Dan said - we live in stupid places. We put houses on cliffs with poles in earthquake zones??? We build houses on the beach then cry when Mother Nature takes them away. Not immune to idiots here in WV. They put houses at the bottom of ravines near a creek and wonder why they flood every year. MOVE BACK - from the rivers, the ocean - the Indians were smart enough to know not to live where the ground "shakes" or to put their teepee next to a raging creek or one that might soon be raging. Dan is right we are dumb. They gripe cause the animals are running out of space - move back from the rivers - no more flooding and the animals have a free space next to the water they need. Make sense? Of course it does - its why we won't do it too.

One of the most wonderful things about living in the Bay/Waveland area is that much of life, particularly for the young, revolves around the water. Swimming in it, sailing in it, fishing in it, walking the beach and learning about all the amazing creatures that lurk beneath the dark surface and sometimes wash up on the beach. That water lulled me to sleep at night and amazed me on two a.m. shrimping outings with the dance of phosphorescence glowing in the murky depths. One real loss for the children is that now many of these staples of childhood are considered "unsafe."

I have to say: I find it really offensive when people imply that coastal inhabitants are stupid. They have lived in this area for sometimes 6 or more generations. Many of them are descended from the original French settlers. They know how to hunt, fish, follow the tides and the nuances of the wind and weather, in ways that are almost genetic. The thing is, this storm was bigger and fiercer than anything the area has ever experienced. It destroyed centuries old homes. It took out the old French Customs office, that had perched off the beach since before the coast became U.S. territory. What difference is a mile? Well. It's historic areas, the whole downtown, one of the oldest churches in the state, several historic schools and ironicly, a mile would take you away from the highest elevations, and into the lower ones, in some spots. I don't know how the recovery 100 years from now, will look. Nobody does. But even if you were miles from the beach, this storm put you under water. I guess I wish people would just let the folks who live there, figure out how they are going to handle the issue. It would be like a New York stock broker telling a farmer how to prepare and plant his fields. Just plain silly. I have great faith and respect for these people. They'll figure it out and do what's best in the potentially rocky years to come. We all have to.

I wouldn’t want to go in the water at all. All of that debris is extremely dangerous. Even with swimming shoes, flip flops, or “thin” shoes, a fork could cause serious damage to your feet. I’m not sure if they do, but the least the county could do is put up signs warning people.

junk in the water is always an issue, though more of an issue now after Katrina. I don't think one is totally safe swimming anytime. I'd wear shoes every time entering the water.

Wussification of America? What's a mile? I live in gulf Breeze, FL and if you were to shutdown Pensacola beach, that would basically shut this community down. It's not just the coastal development or the americans to blame, it is all HUMANS.
Stupidly put:
Humans = Pollution = Global Warming = More Extreme Weather = Bigger Hurricanes.
We haven't seen the worst of anything ...yet.

Some people need to look inward (or, in this case, at their own posting) before calling others "STUPID." I know of very few countries (actually, I know of none, but there very well may be a couple) with a coastline that do not have densely populated areas very near the water. I don't believe all people in all of these countries would merit such a comment. Your fellow (but realistic) environmental pal... And .. yes, protective clothing should be a 'must.' If you can see more than three feet in the Gulf coast water, at least the debris may be fun to look at for snorkelers...

I agree with the gentleman from Texas who stated that Americans are stupid when it comes to lifestyle and respect for the natural environment. If Americans want to live ugly and fat, then our beaches and oceans will be ugly with trash and other forms of debris. By the way, I would never let my kids swim in Louisiana (my home state) or Mississippi before the storm. These two states have deplorable environmental/water quality records. Litter is a way of life down here. The water and beaches were always nasty with litter everywhere. Alabama gets better and Florida is nice. And that's not just after a hurricane!!

I have to agree with Dan's assesment of Americans and our NEED for convenience and comfort; it has to end. I am surprised that my kids wagons & bikes don't come with an A/C option. I would not want to wade out into the gulf and have MY foot pierced by debris. The rebuild effort can include some SMARTER & GREENER ways to do things, but people have to want to change and rebuke the status quo. As an ex-military member I am concerned over Americans acceptance of comfort over functionality, as Dan I too am well traveled and see how much we can learn from Asia and Europe when it comes to "Greener" comfort. Thanks for reading.

People in glass homes or boat shouldn't throw stones. You will never know until you are in these people's situations. Everything takes time. At least the coastlines debris is attributed to the hurricane etal, what about the countries and states who have no excuses? Try to be kind to one another. Its time for everyone to relax a little and if you can't say something nice, don't bother saying anything at all. Better yet, if you have so much time and energy to complain, why not go down there and volunteer.

I'm glad Dan and Sean are well traveled. However,
anyone telling us that we should emulate
European standards of environmental health should
take a swim in the canals of Venice or a deep
swig of water from the River Volga.

Maybe Dan should have spread his message to those in Indonesia so they wouldn't have been wiped out by a tsunami -- oh, I forgot: it's just Americans who are stupid.

The waters in Alabama are becomming much better since the clean up efforts have been not just by the government here but by locals picking up stuff off the beaches and getting them much nicer looking. There is going to be things that will come up from tidal washes, tides from other storms, or even wind erosion. People have always had to be careful on beaches due to many things, we just have to be more careful now because we will have metal and glass in the water that can either cut us really bad or puncture our feet, legs, etc and cause major dammage. I am sure that one day it will be better, but as of right now, there are a few beaches I don't mind getting in the water with even seeing the dammage it caused around the area I swim in. Down Fort Morgan road is a nice beach that has clear water and very nice beaches and you can see where you are stepping. The only thing you might not be able to see is glass.. so just be careful of that. As for other areas of the Gulf Coast...well, lets just say.. ewwww...

Keith, The Bay is a dark brackish water, because it is both spring/river fed with fresh water and also mingled with the salty waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It is naturally dark, and unfortunately, you can not look three feet down and see the bottom, debris or not. That's just the way it is. I'd be willing to bet that it was just like this hundreds of years ago when Iberville and his crew were exploring the coast. While it's a large bay, it's also shallow. There is probably dissolved soil washed down from the marshes in the water, making it not quite a clear blue like you may see other places. In the years I lived in the Bay, I would never have described the water or beach as nasty with litter everywhere. Sure there were fish kills that washed up that were nasty, and you did get a sense that your fortunes were related to the fortunes of the world, when you looked at what washed up. But it was treated with respect as a resource, for the most part. Have you ever been to the Bay?

I would think twice, before I even thought about going in the water, or digging anywhere on land.
You know how the government hides things from us; (lies) then years later - say oh yeah -by the way this memo was just found that noted the problem...
We all know how ""ALL"" of the OFFICALS handled KATRIA IN THE FIRST PLACE. In addition, the clean up...
I would not believe the water or land was safe.

Hello-- Gas, oil, and antifreeze leaking from all the cars in the floods for days.
All the toxins, poisons, chemicals, the kitchen cleaners, industrial cleaners—
Let alone the dead bodies of humans and animals that floated around and still are being found...

Human and animal waste – what did kind of diseases could they have had before Katrina?
"AIDES - HIV-TB- Hepatices, ECT... MAD COW, Bird flu, RABIES….
Everyone so often a body is still found...

They talk bird flu --I think they are secretly getting ready for a sickness born from Katrina, and their lack of handling the problems.
Moreover, getting people back on line with proper water and sanitary conditions...

DO YOU REALLY TRUST the OFFICALS?????

When I lived there in 2002 the water was nasty. There hadn't been a hurricane then. Honestly I wouldn't think of being stupid enough as to go in that water right now. You never know what is in there and with the amount of stuff ruined in the huricane, there is probably anything you can imagine in there. As far as the officials not closing the beaches, they are stupid for that because they are the ones that need to look out for the ignorant people that don't pay attention to dangers such as these. Also, there should be a disclaimer put up for right now so that city officials can't be charged with neglagence if one of the uninformed beachgoers hurts themself because they didn't heed warnings.

I just returned from Pensacola, Florida on a vacation with my family. There was very little debris on the beaches or in the water ... mostly shells from the beach restoration efforts. I only found one broken bottle, more than likely from the beach party the night before rather than the hurricanes. No hesitation to let my 11-year old son frolic in the water.

We can all learn to live greener and more closely with the environment. All Americans need to help in getting the resources to the Gulf States to keep our beaches and estuaries pristeen. This area is like the liver and kidneys to the Northern Continent. Think about it. Without the filtration system of the Gulf to the Everglades and all the swamps in between, all our poison will pile up and kill us. The Earth is alive!

It is sinful how politics in our great country have prevented the poor folks throughout the affected regions from achieving so much more in their noble efforts to rebuild -- and indeed fortify -- their homes, their lives. I tried like hell to enlist many that I know with the means to support rebuilding efforts, only to have one door after another slammed in my face. The effort nearly cost me everything, and so as part of my own personal recovery from tragedy, I had to walk away. I still check in here from time to time, though. I think MSNBC's "Rising from the Ruin" ongoing series is just outstanding, keeping at least some part of our national conscience focused on the daunting list of issues still to be addressed. That's not an easy job when you consider that human nature compells us all to recogmize our own individual breaking points. When we all have to face our own limits. When enough is enough and human nature tells us to look away.

Though checking-up on daily efforts for me now is something I do infrequently (doctors orders, and those orders make sense), I want all of you struggling to rebuild to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers every moment of every day. (Ask anyone living or working in the affected areas and they will all tell you the same thing: without question, the most effective organizations that responded and in many cases have stayed involved: the "church groups". Yes, I do believe in the great power of prayer.)

I'm only one man, and I have no dilusions or skewed perception of my own significance in the collective. I merely make the statement above because I believe that their are many in this world like me, stressed to the breaking point by world events (both man made and of nature) who still very much want to help, if only they had the means to do so.

I take comfort in seeing that there is some instituional relief efforts underway, with the added bonus that these organizations -- ie the Saudi Government's ARAMCO, Home Depot, etc -- have the means and apparently the committed intent to stay the course. God bless them all, we sure need their help. I won't ever (again) give up hope, and I'll pray every day that our societal leaders from all sides of the aisle and idealogies will find the inspiration to take-on this one ominous issue -- rebuilding and more importantly dramatically upgrading vital infrastructure defenses from future devastating storms.

There is no simple answer. There are poor choices made daily, by both communities at large and by those who represent those communities. Some say we're too far gone. I say, change begins on an individual level. If each of us took stock of how we contribute both positively and negatively to this world, and if each of us was truly willing to make the world around us more of a priority by making better choices, we'd obviously be better off. There is a gentle balance that can exist between personal need and global need. Ask yourself who is reading and/or adding to this blog and I'll bet you'll find that we're all good people who care deeply about this world - in our own way. It's those that may not stop to read about these issues...those who immerse themselves in their own needs..those who simply give all their energy and time to personal needs while ignoring global needs...those are the folks who are missing from this discussion. Their numbers are large...immeasurable. How do we encourage them to 'step up to the plate' and give a darn? Communication. Every chance I get, I try to communicate with those around me who might be interested. If they hear it from someone else, they may decide it's important enough to give some time to. That's what we can do. We can do our very best, teach our children to do theirs and try to reach those who live a self-absorbed existence by talking about issues and leading by example. There will always be people who really don't care. There will always be issues that tear at our hearts...and there will always be multiple ways of addressing them. The hope I have is that there will be more people INTERESTED in addressing them. Perhaps at that time, solutions won't seem so far away.