if you can't convince someone to come home ...they were'nt "home" in the 1st place!....Mississippians Will survive!....for the most part...we're pretty tough....dangitt!

Has anyone looked into the dome homes to rebuild with in this area? They are good in the wind and storms. Just a suggestion. I pray for all the people. Dosen't look like the gov. is going to do anything else.

I'm sure that President Bush and the Republican congress are working very hard to get the help where it's needed. We must stand by our President as we have our young heroes deployed in harms way. I'm sure that our President cares for all those affected by the devastation last season and is moving the money where it's needed. From his State of the Union Speech, it sounded like he has got FEMA back on track with proper planning to get the communities and families back in their homes. He won't let the insurance companies get away with not helping these people. Please just stand by our President. I'm sure that he goes to bed every night praying for those in need and is trying to help the needy not just the really big contributors.

Sadly, the President (whether he/she is Republican or Democratic) has little to do with the planning and design of a government organization such as FEMA. The President more or less sets a vision and everyone else makes it happen. I would agree, that our collective government (not just Republican) is trying to make the proper steps to repair its emergency response departments, but Katrina caught everyone off guard. Lessons are being learned. I think that people should stand behind their beliefs, neighbors and friends who are more instrumental in the rebuilding process rather than the acting President. Because truly, they are the people that count. Oh yes, and I think we should support our troops as well (even those not in harms way) but that has little to do with a discussion on rebuilding after a natural disaster...

Amen! I think you just hit the nail on the head. I wish you could see the way people back home are supporting each other.

Living through Katrina 1 mile off the beach was an experience I wouldn't care to repeat too often, Nothing was moving, the heat was horrible. Fema arrived making promises it couldn't keep. The magnitude was unbelieveable. However on the brighter side the power companies were here in a flash trying to rebuild the grids. Fema needs to look no further than Southern Company for an example of pre-planning and staging for a potential disaster. Hats off to all of the out of state high voltage workers how came to the rescue. Only the military has the experience and the means to provide relief on this grand of scale. Clear the red tape to get the military here immediately, Fema can take over once it is stable and the essentials have been met, (food, water & shelter), letting massive Fema contracts out of state doesn't help the local economies, where the tax money is needed. Once the total bill is added up it would have been cheaper to put $50,000 into the hands of every resident down here than their efforts. People will spend the money immediately to get what they need. Hind sight is always 20/20. However this could have been handled better.

We just came back from a work weekend in Waveland - the town will survive and its residents will once again enjoy life in this great town! My family is in for the long haul! God Bless You Waveland!

I pray for the Katrina victims, but what about the Rita victims that have been forgotten. I have a friend who finally got her FEMA trailer LAST WEEK. Try living in a house with no roof and broken windows for 7 months. I just got my roof and ceilings fixed last week. It took 6 months to get a window replaced.
Things here in southeast Texas aren't much better than in New Orleans. And the new season begins shortly.

Maybe what we need is fewer people trying to live where pople do not belong. There are just some places human infrastructure does not belong. I certainly don't like paying for your stupidity not to carry flood insurance. ALl these cries of ignorance are such baloney. You took a gamble - you LOST - now get over it. No one is going to fix my house if it burns down and I start wailing "I didn't think it would be such a bad fire. My house hasn't caught fire in 28 years..." What a crock....MOVE.....

Is Peter Dickson being ironic? Or is Peter Dickson Barbara Bush's code name?

apparently jimmy crackhorn does not live in ms. try buying flood insurance if you do not live in a flood zone! I know I tried to get flood ins just to be on the "safe"side and could not get it. I sold my house in MS, moved to FL & was hit by Katrina before she reached MS, oh, I had flood Ins, you can buy it in Fl with or with a flood zone!

To Jimmy Crackcorn:

Using your approach, we should close San Francisco because of the earthquake potential, we should close Kansas because of tornadoes, and we should close New York City because of its concentration of people and businesses make it susceptible to terrorists. By the way, the federal government bailed out New York City during the 70s because they were on the brink of bankruptcy and again following 911. Blizzards in the north and fires and mudslides in the west, you may even see a powerful hurricane hitting the northeast coast as it did in the past. God help you if it happens to you or one of your family members. The one thing I learned going through this is that the poor and the rich were all on the same level and as apposed to what you see on the news, many of us came together with desperation as our common ground. We were hit hard and many of us are still hurting. Oh, and just for your information, I have flood, homeowners and every other type insurance coverage possible but I am still on the hook for over 50K. I consider myself lucky because I still have my family and my job. You obviously don’t have a clue about what’s going on here.

Bill S.

Metairie, LA

Jimmy Crackhorn opines that we on the MS Gulf Coast
should just move, because we are once again stealing
money from his pockets.

Please.

I wouild ask Mr. Jimmy to respond if he thinks that
the people of Florida should move as well. Or
North Carolina. Or Virginia. etc. All three states
have been hit by major hurricanes (Florida got hit
4 times in 2004, recall). Or do just us backwoods
Mississippians need to move, after the FIRST
significant storm in 35 years? This is the attitude
that your post (and other similar posts in other
stories) reeks of.

Note again, Mr. Jimmy, that many people in this area
did have flood insurance - a lot of it is mandatory,
but others like myself bought it anyway. Insurance
companies, who I have neither a great love nor total
disdain for, have ruled many homes destroyed only
by water, and have denied wind insurance claims, even
though there are eyewitness accounts and sufficient
forensic evidence to back up a wind damage claim.
(Read some of the other stories on this site).

As for flood insurance - I was lucky in that my
insurance company noted that my flood insurance
coverage wasn't expanded to cover my recent
renovation to my home and suggested that I increase
it. They didn't have to - they don't make anything
on it since I pay the premium to the NFIP - but I
gladly did and appreciated their noticing that. Other
folks I've talked to were actively _dis_couraged
by their insurance companies from buying flood
insurance if they didn't have to have it. And now
they need it. Ain't it a wonderful world?

There have been some stories on the news where
insurance companies have been accused of strongarming
forensic engineers and adjustors into noting
flood damage rather than wind damage. This is like
saying that your house was not destroyed by fire,
but was destroyed by squirrels. What, you didn't
see there was a squirrel-exclusion clause in your
contract?

I guess what bugs me about this is that you think
it's easy to just move, ONLY because you think we
the good people of Mississippi are ripping you
(Jimmy Crackhorn) off. Of course, I doubt that
your outrage would extend to grabbing your
car keys and a box of tools and coming down to
help out, or finding a good soul down here who
would love to move and helping him/her find a
job in your neck of the woods, etc.

Nope. You're only outraged for the length of time
you can post your bile. That's the weakest form
of outrage.

This is for.."Jimmy Crack-Corn and I don't care!".. Did you feel the same about the hundred of thousands of people who lost their lives and homes during the Tsunami? Its not THAT easy for ANYONE to just MOVE... You take a gamble living anywhere in the world because ANYTHING can happen ANYWHERE.. HOWEVER, these insurance companies are refusing to pay "insured" homes that were destroyed DURING the hurricane.. To me, that's Folly! In regards to your comment, "NO one is going to fix my house if it burns down and I start wailing I DIDN'T think it would be such a bad fire".... Well, if your house was INSURED but yet, your insurance company REFUSED to PAY b/c the "WIND" caused the FLAMES grow larger thereby, engulfing your home? Hence classifying it as "wind damage"? YOU WILL BE WAILING TO THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS!......PLEASE...know the FULL story before you make rhetoric comments, such as that...

I agree that we are overloading fragile areas with buldings that should not be there and with more population than the areas can ecologically support. I do not know how to fairly prevent overpopulation of those areas.
I do agree that the FEMA response was very poor. I think that the head of FEMA should be an experienced person in diaster relief and NOT a political appointment.

Jimmy is exactly right. It is one thing to be caught by surprise the first time, but when you have no transportation or reliable shelter why are you tempting fate again by defiantly refusing to live somewhere else, and why am I going to have to pay for it WHEN it happens?

While a bit abrasive, Mr. Crackhorn has the right idea. Why does the rest of the nation have to pay for someone elses lack of foresight? Why is it "politically incorrect" to state facts that point out that living close to a shore means you are at risk for major disaster? The mid-twentieth century saw a lull in these large storms, but they were more common 100 years ago. It's just that then you didn't have millions of people living so close to harms way.

I swear...Again, we have "ignorant" people posting that know nothing about nothing. Dick, have you sent me a check??? Kara, have I recieved any cash from you??? And as far as Mr. Crack...name says it all. I don't recall asking you for anything but I do expect my government, whom I have paid since I was 16 years old, to step in and help. The negative ones are the ones that Kharma is definately gonna kick in the A**. When that happens, do you think we back wood mississippians will turn our back on you?? No, we will not. I expect my tax dollars to help anyone and everyone in AMERICA, not everywhere else. If you have a problem with that then you need to move out of OUR Country!!!!!

THATS CRACKHEAD!!!! DANNGITT!!!.i think ya'll misunderstood him WHEN HE WUZ TRING TO LIGHT HIS PIPE

"DICK"....your right but 100 years ago there were less people....ya ont me fer a naboir????....leave us alone if you can't say something CONSTRUCTIVE!

To Dick Eggleston and Kara of Indianapolis -

It is a very very easy thing to just tell people to
move. Very easy. If the shoe were on the other foot
and those from far flung places got on some damn web
site and told you how to run your life because of
the effect on your wallets (miniscule), how would
you react?

I'll bet you'd type your response with one finger.

I for once would like to know how much this disaster
has personally cost each of you, in real dollars
and cents. A rise in your insurance rates? How
do you know it wouldn't have happened anyway?
Increased taxes? Please, get real.

I do believe in personal responsibility. I also
believe in putting your money where your mouth is.
Are you going to help in our rebuilding effort, or
just offer commentary from afar?

You absolutely do have the right to say what you
want, and to opine on a web site about it. However,
remember that we are Americans too. We pay taxes
as well, and have the right to express outrage at
the amount of dollars sheared from our wallets to
cover the cost of the 1993 Midwest flood.

I contributed to the relief effort for that disaster.

Did either of you contrinute to the relief effort for Katrina? Did you?

My hunch is....no.

The Internet is a mixed blessing.

KK, yes Dick probably sent money, and Kara too. It's called taxes and then we send even more money to the Red Cross and whatever other agencies or groups that are helping with the relief effort. That's what Americans do, here at home and around the world. I grew up in Folly Beach. Lots of damage from Hugo. I love the beach but nevertheless there is something wrong with expecting the government to bail you out everytime a hurricane wipes out your beachfront home. You live where you live and should be responsible for insuring your residence against such disasters. If you can't afford to insure, then move to where you can. Fragile shorelines were not meant to incorporate millions of people and structures. This same disaster will happen again and again until changes are made in locating where communities are built. In the meantime we will continue to send money to help bail you out because that is who we are. Sooner or later someone will wise up and say enough! Just because you want to live with the water lapping at your door, don't expect everyone else to hand you the finances to pick up the pieces, you are on your own when the water starts coming in the house.

Too funny...I have been reading these stories for months...Saw Mr Crack's comment and was just waiting to see the re-buttle! Andy, (I see you post a lot on these) I was wondering when you would kick in and KK in BSL kudos to you!!! Coming to you live from Homestead, FL...home destroyed by Hurricane Andrew 1992..rebuilt and still living here....in what I call my "Paradise"...things will get better up there..."carry on sweet southern comfort"....and as for you Mr. Crack do you know the term BMA?

Many of the comments on this story have the same message, "don't leave". Has everyone forgotten the images of bodies floating in the streets of New Orleans; of toxic waste and raw sewage; of looting and hunger? What of the man who road out the storm clinging to a tree after having chopped his way out of the attic of his home. He watched as his house and those of his neighbors were washed away.
Some people may never be accounted for.

Would you really advise anyone to give up their life rather then suffer a days inconvenience and an unplanned vacation?

Don't listen to fools who would, against the advise of those more learned, tell residence in the path of oncoming storms to stay. What is important is the lives of you and your families. If advised to leave, go and God bless!

From what I am reading, what most 'insurance ignorant' people who do not live near the coast do not seem to understand is that although many of the people who did leave, who came back to find their homes, livelyhoods and all they knew destroyed, who carried all the insurance they could possibly carry - found out that the unscrupulous insurance companies were looking for any way possible OUT of these multi-million dollar claims. And yes, I'm talking about large, "name-brand" insurance companies, not just the run-of-the-net, fly-by-night companies. These people were told that there home wasn't damaged by the hurricane - it was "wind damage" - so they weren't covered! OR it was "water damage", not FLOOD damage - or MOLD or some OTHER miniscule, minute, moronic weather-related phenom NOT listed on their policy or listed as NOT covered in the fine print. Now tell me, wouldn't you be making some noise at the top of your voice too?

These are not people screaming for hand-outs. These are hard-working people asking for ASSISTANCE from a government that was established to be OF the people, BY the people and FOR the people. They have paid taxes, worked HARD for what they had, and deserve to live in the area that is and was their home. If asked to leave again due to a serious storm, they would leave because life is more precious to them than things...but they deserve to have help to keep those things safe too, or to know that the companies that are supposed to insure those things will do as they have promised. If not, then the government needs to stand by its people.

Mother Nature is a hard taskmaster. But we will always stand together when she plays her games, and we will be stronger for it.

When the residents of BSL, Waveland, etc respond to others opinions about the gulf coast, they always point out all the other areas of the country that have gone through natural and manmade disasters. Very true, but seems like none of the other areas has been as unprepared or, dare I say it, "needy" than these areas. Whether it be failure to evacuate or prepare for the aftermath of storms, or a seemingly regional ignorance of insurance regulations, the gulf coast seems to be an abyss of need. No other area has been more vocal or demanding about government and other aid, while more resources have been poured into it than any other. You wonder how people can be so mean spirited and hateful about your plight; just read your own responses. Full of sneering and finger pointing to people who dare question the wisdom of rebuilding an area that, best case scenario, won't be rebuilt for years to come, and worst case, could have all progress made in the last months wiped out with one more storm, which is predicted to be likely. Stay if you must, but my tax dollars shouldn't finance it.

Judy Chasteen writes:

KK, yes Dick probably sent money, and Kara too. It's called taxes and then we send even more money to the Red Cross and whatever other agencies or groups that are helping with the relief effort. That's what Americans do, here at home and around the world. I grew up in Folly Beach. Lots of damage from Hugo. I love the beach but nevertheless there is something wrong with expecting the government to bail you out everytime a hurricane wipes out your beachfront home. You live where you live and should be responsible for insuring your residence against such disasters. If you can't afford to insure, then move to where you can. Fragile shorelines were not meant to incorporate millions of people and structures. This same disaster will happen again and again until changes are made in locating where communities are built. In the meantime we will continue to send money to help bail you out because that is who we are. Sooner or later someone will wise up and say enough! Just because you want to live with the water lapping at your door, don't expect everyone else to hand you the finances to pick up the pieces, you are on your own when the water starts coming in the house.

No one is expecting the government to do squat.
Everyone is rebuilding with or without the government's help. I would say that 99% of everyone
here has at least the insurance they were
expected to carry. The storm exceeded the established
flood elevations. Those without flood insurance and
who were outside the flood plain are hurting. Others
outside the flood plain and with flood insurance
anyway are doing ok, more or less.

Unlike what you might think, I do not live on
beachfront. I am more than a mile inland, and
outside the established flood plain, and still
got water. To naturally expect me to realize that
this was an inevitable occurence requires you to
believe that I can predict the future. I lucked out
and had flood insurance, and received a settlement.
You are welcome to take back your share if you feel
like it is being wasted.

I'm sorry if you feel that your taxes are misspent
coming here. I certainly haven't seen much of them
myself. Please remember that we pay taxes as well,
as we are all Americans - something many from
elsewhere seem to forget.

"I Belive I would Leave N.O." Paula....but i ain't leavin' Mississippi!....i,ve been kicked outta nicer places....that includes da Peabody!!!!....dammitt!

Judy, You misunderstood my statements...I am not asking anyone to BAIL me out. I had insurance including flood. I am not one of those screaming for the government to send me money personally. I do think the government needs to help the cities rebuild and in that I mean, city hall, police departments, and everything else that makes a city safe. I don't agree with the people that didn't work before the storm, lived in rent controlled apts, and got everyting they could before the storm screaming to stay in their nice hotel room. That's not what FEMA should be doing. For some reason everyone is grouping us in the same category as New Orleans and it's not even the same. You speak as though you have been here...have you??? There are not millions and millions of people on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We are a small community that is growing stronger everyday. I don't hear people in this area begging for the government to bail us out as you put it. We have a wonderful group of volunteers that arrive here everyday to help. I personally had enough money left after my mortgage company took theirs to buy materials. My wonderful neighbors next door (they came down here from Nashville, Tn to work and decided to stay) have been putting my home back together every night after they work all day...They are doing this for FREE...So, don't put us in that catergory that you hear about on TV because that is not us..We are all working together to get our lives back together and not asking anybody but the insurance companies to give us what is rightfully ours anyway...

understand this i will be making my third hurricain relief trip in early october and will bring my wife this time. i have personally spent thousands of my own money to help and will continue to do so. i'm an electrician and hope to be used in this capacity when we return. (as a volenteer) we will be self sufficient and will this time be in biloxi. however i also am extremely troubled by the amounts of money our government has spent and intends to spend when when it all comes down to it could be washed away next year. galvastan understood this and went inland and rebuilt in houstin many years ago when it was devastated by a powerful hurricain. a lesson that apparently new orleans refuses to learn. so if someone wants to attack me so be it i'll still be back there for 7 to 10 days in october and i'm sure we will blessed by the experience. we will continue to pray that it will still be recovery from katrina and not a new storm.

Wait, Gina why did you say "Southern Comfort"....now i'm thirsty.....dangitt

California,Oregon,Washington,Texas,Louisana,Mississippi, Alabama,Florida,Georgia,North And South Carolina,Virginia,Maryland,Delaware, New Jersey,New York,Connecticutt,Mass,Rhode Is.,Maine,Alasaka,Ohio,Michigan, Illionios,& Wisconsin, ALL BORDER SHORELINES The most dense populations are on shorelines, The point Mr crack has is none. Noone is immune to any kind of natural diaster. He loves to talk smack, so he gets attention.
Do not fall for this ploy. All i could hope for is the worst for him and the best for katrina victims. Please rebuild your life, and cities. After all San Fran rebuilt after a fire, Oakland after earthquake,Gavelston Tx after Hurricane, miami fl after Hurricane, New york after hurricane The list goes on and on. People who are unenformed on the issues of insurance and the difference in fema(a joke)
a president that has everyone wondering about what rights they have....Knowing Mike Brown did a "great Job" and remember there was "Weapons of Mass Destruction" issue. It's hard to restart your life when you are surrounded by jackels, wolves and jack asses. I m from this area i've been around this great country of ours......everyplace has its own hazards, that is what makes our country great. I love America, and what our fore fathers thought it should be, not now. More of your money slips under the statue of liberty skirt than you can imagne.... The time is now America, if it can happen here to 4 states, it can happen anywhere. Get off the victims backs and let them do what they must.....They paid just like you and i......BACK OFF!!!!

Media influence wins again! I find Donna Wagner's comment about being a victim of Rita particularly compelling.
It seems like little if anything is now mentioned about the aftermath of that hurricane, and those folks in east Texas and western Louisianna have been dealt an even shorter version of the proverbial stick, (or should I say shaft).

Mr. Walt from Little Rock AR writes:

When the residents of BSL, Waveland, etc respond to others opinions about the gulf coast, they always point out all the other areas of the country that have gone through natural and manmade disasters. Very true, but seems like none of the other areas has been as unprepared or, dare I say it, "needy" than these areas. Whether it be failure to evacuate or prepare for the aftermath of storms, or a seemingly regional ignorance of insurance regulations, the gulf coast seems to be an abyss of need. No other area has been more vocal or demanding about government and other aid, while more resources have been poured into it than any other. You wonder how people can be so mean spirited and hateful about your plight; just read your own responses. Full of sneering and finger pointing to people who dare question the wisdom of rebuilding an area that, best case scenario, won't be rebuilt for years to come, and worst case, could have all progress made in the last months wiped out with one more storm, which is predicted to be likely. Stay if you must, but my tax dollars shouldn't finance it.

No other natural disaster to this point in time
has had its own web site like this. The very first
response to the very first post days after the
hurricane read something much like yours.

I think the reason I object to posts like yours is
that you would rather we don't pursue every legitimate
avenue to get back on our feet, like you would rather
we just go away. There is a misperception that all we
do is wait for the government handout and not do
anything ourselves. Nothing can be further from the
truth. This is the perception I want to correct.
Everyone is rebuilding, whether it be with volunteer
labor, insurance proceeds, or self-financed.

And if you think we seem "needy", think of how many
websites like this there are for previous hurricanes.
None. Were one up and available for any of the
previous Florida hurricanes, perhaps there would be
posts of similar tenor, and then replies similar to
yours about "neediness."

And really, if you were trying to rebuild with the
chorus of emails like yours wafting through the ether,
you'd be angry too. Many here are homeless and
are busy putting their lives back together, while
you lob in judgement from miles away. If the shoe were
on the other foot, what would you do in response?

We're good people, but stretched pretty thin right
now. If you aren't going to grab a toolbox and
come down and help us, then leave us alone. I wouldn't
wish Katrina on my worst enemy.

To Walt from Arkansas, who's worried about taxes
going to hurricane victims -

The Tax Foundation has determined that Arkansas gets
$1.47 in federal benefits for every $1 its citizens pays in taxes. This is hardly a high horse, and many other citizens may wonder what they are getting for their $0.47...

I knew when I saw the news story before the storm hit about people in New Orleans going to the shelters of last resort, the convention center and the Superdome that nothing good could come of it. I truly had a sick feeling in my stomach. I knew they were screwed. The companion story was about a wealthy family from Chicago who, when trying to evacuate their son from Tulane University in New Orleans, simply rented a limo and were driven back to Chicago as they toasted their good fortune with champagne. Guess which story didn't run after Katrina. As a lifelong resident of the deep south, I have watched time and time again as people evacuate the Gulf coast from various storms. It's the same story. The wealthy have time and money to evacuate, while the poor, working or otherwise, do not. With the exception of New Orleans, most of the exponential growth in the deep South has occurred in the last 30 years from the Texas coast through the panhandle of Florida. Inland growth has not kept up therefore when these people evacuate, there are not enough roads, gas stations or hotel rooms to accommodate them. Our friends evacuating from New Orleans after Kat had to go all the way to Memphis in order to get to Mobile after the storm. This was partly due to road damage and partly due to lack of fuel. FEMA goes about the bureaucratic business of implementing an evacuation plan that will invariably fail and then say we'll do better next time. The Army corp of engineers has admitted that they levees were improperly constructed. Another agency that has no liability that will do better next time. They need to put the ARMY back in charge of the Corps of Engineers. My life has forever been changed by the sight of children dragging the bodies of their dead relatives through the streets of the capital of the South, New Orleans. People in New Orleans love their city like no other people I have ever known. The fact is that New Orleans is a very poor city. And it wasn't just New Orleans, my best friend's brother and his family spent almost a week in their attic In Mississippi. They were almost 40 miles inland on a small creek. The storm surge pushed them into the attic and they didn't know that they were supposed to keep an axe in the attic. They finally made it out. Unlike other port cities of its size New Orleans has not grown and prospered as it should. It is a place where people from all over the country go to get drunk and act a fool and puke in the streets and flash people. Our precious, sacred Mardi Gras the last day of celebration before the holiest season in the region has turned into a big wang-dang doodle that has nothing to do with heritage and culture. I hope the leadership of the Big Easy wises up and encourage real job growth. Quit selling the Crescent City short. Maids and hot dog vendors and the like don't and will never have the resources to hire a limo. They need good jobs and a good infrastructure to support them. So let's start charging what it really costs to bring in and process and the fuels, petroleum and natural gas from and through the ports of the deep south. We don't use much of it but we suffer all the environmental consequences. It's not politically correct to have such facilities in Boston or San Fran etc.(NOT IN MY BACKYARD!!!) By the same token we'll charge toll charges for all the hundreds of thousands of drunken spring breakers screaming through our states at 80 or 90 miles an hour booger-up the roads and beaches and making life miserable for the locals. Oh, yes, and no more toxic or household waste from outside each state. Everyone on the coast who could afford it had hurricane insurance. I have at least a dozen different relatives in the Alabama and Florida panhandles and everyone of them expects coverage during a hurricane. Only an attorney could try to make an argument to separate water from a hurricane. None of the insurance companies want to pay for water damage. So what if an insurance company goes belly up because it had to pay off all the policy holders it owes? I think some people are more worried about stock portfolios that fellow citizens. The one thing that is good that has come out of this is the outpouring of support and love from all over the county. Average people giving up their life savings and volunteering to help however they can. People from Indiana to California, just to name a few, both in the days immediately following the disaster and for months and years to come will be the saving grace that sees these people through. I will be spending all my vacation time helping in Waveland and New Orleans. Let's get to work. No ones going to help us; we'll have to do it ourselves.

since my last post i have read a lot about the area and tried to understand what locals were saying. as i said before this oct will be my third trip and i have loved helping but was also troubled by what appeared to be wasted money (my tax money). big government is the problem and always will be and as i begin to see the diffaculties locals are having with government, insurance companies etc, i'm ashamed about my post. i have asked the local church in baloxi that will coordinate our visit to further help us understand what is needed so we can better meet the needs of the your community and whomever we will be helping with during our visit. we will continue to pray that we will be used in a mighty way while there. so whomever i may have irritated with my post (poor spelling and grammer included)please forgive me. i only wish cookie and i could do more. we look forward to our working vacation in ms and all the blessings that will be poured upon us. God bless and we continue to pray that you are spared any more storms this year.

Mr Walt...I grew up in a little town outside of Little Rock called Bryant..have you heard of it?? I know what kind of weather goes thru there..Do you not remember the tornado's of the 80's..total destruction all around. The government was there to help those people so your tax money was used then and it is being used now. That is what we pay taxes for. I prefer a hurricane over a tornado anyday because at least with the hurricane we have several days notice and with a tornado..BAM...it's right on you. Been thru both and lucky to survive.

To Lance from Homeland Calif; first, I would like to thank you wholeheartedly, for unselfishly making two relief trips down here already to volunteer to help, while planning a third in Oct, in addition to generously and, I'm sure, unhesitatingly, having to incur personal out-of-pocket expenses in the process, as well as using your vacation as a working vacation helping the people of South Mississippi to rebuild their lives and communities... Sir, it is people like you with such an unselfish attitude of caring and giving, that are such an inspiration and beacon of hope to us all. Thank you so much.
Secondly, your previous post, I'm sure, did not offend anyone. You were expressing concern that all the hard work and money going toward the recovery here could be washed into the Gulf with the next storm, possibly this year, and yes, you are absolutely right- that is a possibility. However, it is not a reason to stop the recovery here. If the flawed rationale of "why waste effort to rebuild a community after a disaster if it can just be destroyed again?" was used before now, think of the places in our country that would no longer exist. Most of Chicago (fire), Johnstown Pa (flood), San Francisco Ca (earthquake), Galveston Tx (hurricane)- more recently, much of the Midwest in the early 1990's (flooding), the coast of South Carolina (hurricane), Homestead Fla (hurricane) Oakland Ca (earthquake), much of the northeast US (flooding)... and others...now, people in these areas have already suffered loss and are aware that there could be a repeat disaster. Are we to withhold aid and support to them if a repeat disaster occurs? Are we to not rebuild San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles, Portland, New York or ANY community if it is destroyed? The Mississippi Gulf Coast was largely destroyed by Hurricane Camille in 1969 and came back stronger than ever in the 1990's not as a result of the gov't pouring unlimited tax dollars into the rebuilding (although the gov't did contribute much to the rebuilding of the infrastructure of the coast), but as the result of businesses, namely casinos, which invested in the Mississippi Gulf Coast and saw a good return on their investment. in the 1990's property values skyrocketed, wages improved, and there was a building boom, and the overall quality of life here improved. As a result of this boom on the Coast, the entire state of Mississippi, traditionally a bottom-dweller in most national statistics categories concerning income, education, health care, poverty, etc, was able to make impressive strides toward improving the quality of life for its citizens. So the rebuilding of the Mississippi Coast after Camille, even though it was re-destroyed again in 2005, did pay dividends to the state and country. So, to use the short-sighted logic that the Mississippi Gulf Coast should not be rebuilt because it could all just be washed into the gulf again is irrational.
Thank you for your prayers, Lance, and thank you once again for your unselfishness and care. Please be assured that your assistance toward our recovery is very much appreciated, and that all your hard work will not be in vain.

I have become jaded....why can't America help Americian's.....the rest of the world should have to wait...untill we make ourselves whole?

I would like to respond to all of you people who have posted a "you deserved it because you live there" opinion. Yes you have the right to an opinion, but please make it one that makes since next time.
How many of you people would have just MOVED away from your home town, the place you were born, raised, went to school, the place where you knew all your neighbors, where all your friends were, the place were you became the person you are today?
Its not easy at all. I did it only for work, not to keep a few more cents from coming out of your pockets.
Did you also write nasty "know it all" comments for every other hurricane that hit or tornado that hit, or mudslide or flood, or blizzard, or earthquake?
Ill let you in on a little secret. If everyone moved away from all the places in the country the SOMETHING could happen, no one would have anywhere to go. You CANT JUST MOVE AWAY FROM ALL NATRUAL DISASTERS!
One more thing,WE DID have flood insurance, and wind and homeowners, and fire, AND still have not recieved anything because they cant tell which one hit first, was it the water that detroyed the house or the wind? no one will ever know that so we will pretty much never get anything from our insurance companies.

I MOVED FROM GULFPORT MS TO AZ PRIOR TO THE STORM I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE PEAPLE ON THE COAST U WILL BE BACK 10X STRONGER I KNOW THE WILL OF PEAPLE DOWN THEIR AND AS FAR AS TAXES I WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE THE MONEY GO TO US RESADINTS THAN SOME CRAZY BILLON DOLLER WAR THAT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL AND OH YA GO SEAWOLVES

Cristina....we can all go to Theodore's house....he's blessed....won't anything ever happen bad there!.....would'nt he be suprised if a 1000 rednecks showed up!!!

i lived in waveland behind st. clare until i evacuated the day before katrina. coming home to a concrete slab was gut-wrenching and my heart is still broken. i am trying to rebuild and will remain unduanted and am genuinely grateful for all the support from complete strangers.
stacy exiled in lockport

Hey,Stacy....don't worry....rebuild!....we still love ya ...dangitt!....and i got about enough wire to elictrolize a house!....e- mail me

Recently I met someone from BSL while attending Jazz Fest in NO. I had never even heard of BSL or Waveland. Whenever you mention Katrina, the first thing that came to mind was NO because of the media coverage. My eyes and mind were widened when I met this incredible person (contractor) from BSL whom has been working around the clock, 6-7 days per week, to help rebuild his hometown as well as the people of NO ever since disaster struck. The most impressive thing was his "can and will do" attitude; not "if" or "when" but "can" and "will"! When I returned to Dallas I looked around at the clean streets and the daily living afforded to us without the real knowledge of how people were still living within hours from my home. I was very saddened by the lack of public awareness and degree of devastation within our own country. For me and many Americans, hurricane Katrina was a horrific tragedy "event" that occurred in 2005. As I moved on in my world, little did I realize how many people were still living the reality of such a tragedy without any form of relief or escape. To them, it was life rather than an "event" in time.
Let's be real. Natural disaster can occur in one form or another in any state within this great country of ours. Let's not put our heads in the sand by allowing ourselves to believe these people created this situation by living in the gulf coast region. Instead of tearing each other down, we need to constructively join forces and come up with creative ideas toward solutions. I personally, am extremely appauled by the antics of the insurance companies in an effort to protect their own interest without regard to the people that contributed to their wealth through premium payments. Their trust and faith in the security of their insurance company was soon dispelled by the reality of disaster. Even though the damaging effects of wind and water is understood and documented from a hurricane of this caliber, the insurance companies have still been able to get away with hiding behind loop holes and fancy double talk to avoid paying these people what was due. Without proper funding and resources, we expect these people to rebuild, and on top of it, they cannot get insurance until the construction has been completed! And hurricane season has once again returned to the region adding increased tension and anxiety to the daily living and construction efforts.
Let's stop the heretic of condescending attitudes and start using our gifts and talents toward efforts of helping one another. After all, you never know when the time will come that you may become the "less fortunate". I applaud all that have volunteered their time and talent toward the rebuild of these less fortunate communities. Just because we may not have the skills required to labor in the area doesn't mean we can't be part of the sulution. Everyone on this website is here because in some form or fashion they "care". Let's use that energy in a positive way to actually generate results.

I just want to thank all of the volunteers that have come and gone. I don't know where our coast would be if it wasn't for those American's who helped us after the storm and those who have continued to help. I don't think we would have come as far as we have if it wasn't for your help. Our government has done very little for us.

I am a resident of Pass Christian & have been for the last 5 years (BSL prior to that). I don't think anyone can truly understand what it's like down here until you come here and see it with your own eyes. People cannot even imagine what it's like to leave your home intact & all of your possession only to come home to a pile of rubble. Then to believe that everything will be okay because you have insurance, all the insurance you can get; only to be denied or told that you should feel lucky that at least your flood paid out.

To those that have not been here, I feel for you if you ever have to go through a natural disaster of any kind. Keep sitting on your soap box believing that nothing will happen to you. When the day comes and something happens, you better pray that citizens come to your rescue because you won't be able to count on the government or on your insurance company. Funny, but the likely hood is that Mississippi citizens will come to your rescue just to repay all of the volunteers that came to our rescue.

I worked in Hattiesburg and Slidell from March until June of 2006. I helped cut the widowmakers and moved the snake-haven brush piles. I quit a good-paying job to go there, but got scammed. I almost lost my home over it, because I didn't get paid all of my money. I did not go there to get rich, only to work and get paid. I am very good at what I do and enjoy recovery work. I have been to fla. for recovery work 5 times before this. I don't think Orlando is on the coast, so the theory of "move and it won't happen" does't fly. Same for Hattiesburg and Laurel, Ms. I will be leaving this week to return to the gulf coast in hope of finding a painting job(journeyman painter)partly because the illegal immigrants haven,t desecrated the job market like they have here in Atlanta, but mostly because the people there are so very NICE! REBUILD! It's not the property, but the people that make a town livable.imho