Florida got Hammered!

Not the UF Gators, the state by Michael,, especially the panhandle. Just saw video shot from a helicopter of Mexico Beach, Fl. We stayed there, a condo on the beach, in June, 2016. By the looks of it, I doubt that condo exists today. Nothing much is left standing. Michael is the 3rd most powerful hurricane to hit the US mainland in history, behind the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, and Camille in 1969.

I experienced Camille. We had just spent the weekend at Biloxi-Gulfport the week before Camille hit. The hotel, the amusement park, the attractions we had visited all gone...or relocated to around Hattiesburg! My family owned a trucking company (drayage) and the day after Camille clobbered the Mississippi coast the Red Cross called wanting to rent two of our trucks to deliver relief supplies. My dad said, no way! they aren't for rent...you can borrow them at no charge. And then he volunteered himself and one of our employees, Mr. Rick, to drive the trucks too.(actually we paid Mr. Rick for his services, but he then donated every dime of it to the Red Cross, we later learned). My dad asked if I wanted to go....I was all of 11 at the time. We went to a Red Cross warehouse in east New Orleans where both trucks were loaded with supplies. They gave my dad and Mr. Rick ID's and they also put signs, tied on the bumpers, with "RED CROSS" printed on them. Before we got to the Pearl River we were stopped by Louisiana State Troopers asking to see our credentials. We were then given some directions to follow, such as, such and such highway is opened to Bay St. Louis, but from there you'll have to switch to another highway. We were then stopped by the Mississippi National Guard, also checking our credentials and giving more directions. It took us about 8 hours to go the 90 miles to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

I saw some things perhaps an 11-year-old shouldn't. There were about 150 deaths in the vicinity of Bay St. Louis to Gulfport. We saw 6 bodies, just dug out of the sand, laying in a row along the highway. They had no body bags yet, and the bodies were just there in the open. Our truck was stalled in a traffic jam, and I glared out the window at the dead people. I can recall some minute details. One man with one shoe on, and his black and red sock, his other foot was completely bare.

We finally reached a cleared area just above the gulf, somewhere around Long Beach, a community west of Biloxi that took the direct hit of the NE eye wall. Winds in excess of 200 mph! It looked like a desert. Just flat sand. That was it, no trees, no structures, nothing but sand flattened as if by steamrollers. The sand was the beach, which was now deposited inland from the ocean's edge and for about a mile. There were equipment, like small dozers, pushing the sand off the highway. My dad reminded me we had visited a haunted mansion here. Just the week before we toured the "House of Shadows" or something like that, said to be haunted. It was in Long Beach, or it had been.

They sent us on toward Biloxi, we had to back track north, inland, and go around. I remember seeing big boats, yachts, and a big shrimp boat, all sitting high and dry several miles inland. When we finally reached our destination it was a mostly cleared off blacktop area, which we were told used to be a shopping mall, but the entire structure was gone. There were people, most wrapped in blankets, standing off to the side. Red Cross officials, police, and some National Guardsmen, rushed over to us and began unloading the supplies. I was told to stay in the truck. I remember the people..."thank you, God bless you..." they swarmed over my dad, shaking his hand and patting him on the back. Ours was the first supplies to arrive in this particular area.

A Red Cross official asked my dad if he was up for another run. He said of course. But my mom met us at a Burger King near the Red Cross warehouse, where we all had something to eat for the first time in nearly 24 hours. My dad and Mr. Rick made another supply run back to Mississippi, I went home with my mom.

I post this mostly to alert you to what goes on during relief operations after disasters. Right now, utility crews from 14 states are in Florida helping them restore power. Relief organizations, like the Red Cross, and their wonderful volunteers are selflessly delivering supplies and comfort to those in need. And today, now, we are a lot better organized and prepared. In 1969 it was average folks like my dad and Mr. Rick who stepped up. I remember when my dad got home...he looked like a frickin' zombie! He hadn't slept in more than 48 hours and he was absolutely exhausted.

He did good.

My sister in law built a house on Hwy 98 in Mexico Beach a year ago. She was in Houston visiting family when this hurricane evolved and hasn’t heard what has happened to her house yet, but based on the reports, she isn’t expecting much, if any, of it to remain.

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Originally Posted by Guisslapp

My sister in law built a house on Hwy 98 in Mexico Beach a year ago. She was in Houston visiting family when this hurricane evolved and hasn’t heard what has happened to her house yet, but based on the reports, she isn’t expecting much, if any, of it to remain.

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In 2016 we made our way slowly along the coast. We had spent a couple days at Mexico Beach, and my wife had a conference a few days later in Tampa. So we moseyed along, no hurry. Around Apalachicola there is no beach, really, just rocky shoreline. We were noticing lots of houses for sale...and not just houses, but "house skeletons." Concrete structures that are the "bones" of a house. We saw a real estate lady putting up a sign, so we stopped for a chat. One structure, kind of straddling the shoreline, two concrete pillars out in the water, four more on shore. We asked about it, she said, "name your price, the seller will take almost anything for it." She explained if you could even get insurance, it would cost you more than the house would! So most people are not insured, which means NO WAY would a third party lender finance a deal. Has to be self-funded and just take your chances.

I said, Okay, name my price, eh? She nodded. Okay, $200,000. She shook her head, I doubt they'll take that for it, but I can write up the offer! I said, no, you don't understand...if the seller pays me $200,000 I'll take it off his hands. That real estate lady doesn't have a sense of humor...

Seriously though, I was amazed by the number of properties for sale along the coast. Actually, reminds me of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the wake of Camille. Properties sat vacant for decades. It wasn't until the advent of the casinos did the region experience a rebirth and development began again. Prior to that real estate signs could be seen rotting away.

We are scheduled to be in Grayton Beach next week for the kid’s fall break. Should find out tomorrow whether or not that’s a go. Crazy

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Originally Posted by johnnylightnin

We are scheduled to be in Grayton Beach next week for the kid’s fall break. Should find out tomorrow whether or not that’s a go. Crazy

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Love Grayton Beach. That place reminds me of the old beach towns of the 1960's and '70's. Nothing fancy, but a great setting. Be sure to check out Chanticleer Eatery:

https://www.chanticleereatery.com/