In 1969, Hurricane Camille slammed into the Mississippi Gulf coast with winds estimated at up to 200 mph; no one really knows because the wind destroyed all the recording devices. A year later, I drove down Hwy 90 from Biloxi to Pass Christian on a road trip with my parents. While all the rubble had been cleared away by then, the scars were still fresh, and the extent of the devastation painfully obvious.
This morning I drove my daughter down that same stretch of ocean highway. Six years have passed since Katrina once again laid waste to this shore. While the place has been cleaned up and the casinos reopened, there are also an abundance of For Sale signs and vast stretches of empty sand where something of value once stood.
Back in 1970, you could see that life was rebounding despite the knowledge that there would be other storms. Now, it feels like life here has been put on hold. It is a sad place.
The rest of the day was spent trying to get across Louisiana. We almost made it. Tonight we're camped next to a refinery in Sulphur, a town just west of Lake Charles. Fortunately, we are not downwind.
Day 57
Ocean Springs, MS to Sulphur, LA
Daily Mileage: 247.8
Total Mileage: 9,380.8
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