High Hopes: Waveland Mississippi - The Aftermath of Katrina Six Years Later

The city of Waveland, MS, was 'ground zero' when Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005. Waveland was hit directly by the eyewall of Katrina with a 28 foot storm surge and 55 foot sea waves which obliterated the town. The storm dragged away almost every structure within one half mile of the beach leaving only driveways and foundations. The death toll was reported at 50 people. Bay St Louis, the town next to Waveland was almost as badly damaged. Below are pictures of the area days and weeks after the hurricane hit.

A home in Waveland after Katrina.

A major road into downtown Waveland.

Very few homes were left standing along the Gulf. Just driveways and sidewalks.

Waveland Town Hall.

This home was on Beach Boulevard with the Gulf of Mexico in the distance.

Bay St Louis Bridge connecting Bay St Louis and Pass Christian on US 90.

We stayed at the Buccaneer State Park which is right on the Gulf of Mexico. The state park was also flooded and all the buildings were destroyed. They have rebuilt most of the park and the buildings now stand on 20 foot pillars above the ground. The area is very peaceful and beautiful and it's hard to believe such a terrible hurricane went through there until you realize how much has not been rebuilt and may never be.

A view of the Gulf right across the street from where homes used to sit.

New roads and sidewalks have been added for bikers and joggers, and strolling along the Gulf.

But there are also stark reminders of piers that were destroyed. The owners of these piers are no longer living on Beach Boulevard.

Only the birds use them now.

Some of the families have rebuilt but more than 50% of the lots are empty with many for sale. We saw signs on empty lots that said, For Sale By Owner, 1.5 acres for $165,000. This is right across the street from the Gulf with fantastic views so you would think the properties would be snapped up. One of the problems is the cost of homeowners insurance, a home valued under $200k has insurance costs of around $900 per month.

St Clare Catholic School and Church was destroyed. The new building is in the background.

There are mansions like this one.........but very few. This owner must work for an insurance company!

Most homes are modest like this one that is still being built.

A distance shot showing how few houses are on Beach Boulevard.

A new pier was built in Waveland for the community.

We also went into Bay St Louis and checked out the sights. It's a quaint little town a little bigger than Waveland. We also saw the new Bay St Louis Bridge that was build between Bay St Louis and Pass Christian. The bridge was started in 2006 with one lane opened in each direction by May of 2007, and all work was completed by November 2007. The bridge is 2.1 miles long and was built higher eliminating the need for a draw. There are wide sidewalks on each side of the bridge for biking, jogging, and walking and you see people on it all the time. It is an amazing example of what can be accomplished when an area is so badly devastated.

This is the beautiful new Bay St Louis Bridge. It is quite the marvel.

A park in Bay St Louis.

The old train depot in Bay St Louis.

Across from the old depot another part of the old town that has bars and restaurants now.

This used to be the Starr Boarding House. They have made it into a Community Theatre.

While we were in the area we crossed the Bay Bridge into Pass Christian and drove along the coast through Long Beach up to Gulfport. We saw some magnificent homes along the way that appeared to have avoided the wrath of Katrina. But, not surprisingly, there were also areas with empty lots and homes that were up for sale. Below are some of the stately mansions we saw. Directly across from them are the white sands of the Gulf.