BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Twenty years ago, around 9:00 a.m., Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, forever changing thousands of lives.
On the anniversary of the storm, WLOX will air an hour-long special, “Katrina20: The Storm That Changed Everything,” on WLOX-ABC at 6 p.m.
Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, 2005, with such force and fury that it became one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in American history.
Recorded storm surges along the Mississippi Gulf Coast reached nearly 30 feet.
Katrina left behind widespread devastation, making it the costliest hurricane in United States history. The storm caused over $200 billion in damage when adjusted for today’s dollars, according to the National Center for Environmental Information.
172 people in Mississippi were killed as a direct result of Katrina, according to the National Hurricane Center. In all, the powerful storm was responsible for 1,392 fatalities.
Aftermath & Recovery
One of the most traveled bridges on the Coast, the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge, was destroyed by Katrina when the concrete decking toppled like dominoes.
The project was put on a fast-track construction schedule, given the importance of the 1.6-mile-long bridge for commerce. A pedestrian pathway was also added.
Approximately 22 months after construction started, the bridge opened to traffic. Now, about 25,000 motorists travel the bridge each day, according to the Gulf Regional Planning Commission.
Large chunks of concrete from the old bridge were used to build the Katrina fishing reef south of Deer Island.
The Bay St. Louis Bridge also had to be rebuilt after it was destroyed in the storm.
The bridge reopened for drivers 20 months after Katrina. The new bridge is now much higher than the old one and includes a walking and biking path.
The gaming industry suffered a tremendous hit from Hurricane Katrina.
Before the storm, the Coast had floating Casinos on giant barges. Many were separated from their moorings and pushed ashore by Katrina’s fierce winds and storm surge.
The Hard Rock in Biloxi was even scheduled to open in early September of 2005, but Hurricane Katrina washed away those plans.
The Grand Casino barge in Gulfport was destroyed during the storm and swept onto Highway 90, where it was later demolished by implosion for removal.
Casinos did rebuild, and the land-based casino law that passed in October 2005 allowed them to do so on solid ground. The move was significant to the Coast’s recovery, since gaming is one of the biggest employers.
Today, there are twelve casinos in South Mississippi.
The Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport was destroyed, and multiple dolphins housed at the facility were washed out to sea.
Nearly two weeks after the storm, Marine Life staff members, while aboard a helicopter, spotted eight missing dolphins.
In the following days, staff members would visit the dolphins and feed and train them from floating mats.
The dolphins were eventually rescued and brought to Dolphin Key Atlantis in the Bahamas as a permanent home.
Coverage
During Hurricane Katrina, WLOX stayed on the air, delivering life-saving information, even as the studio was falling apart.
Many staff members continued sharing stories of South Mississippians, despite facing damage and loss at their own homes.
Months after the storm, WLOX produced a documentary about the devastation that reshaped South Missisisppi and the resilience of the community that worked together to come back stronger.
You can also watch WLOX’s hour-long special, “Katrina20: The Storm That Changed Everything,” on Friday, August 29, at 6 p.m. on WLOX-ABC.
Pass Christian native Robin Roberts played a role in covering the storm for South Mississippi and the nation. The Good Morning America (GMA) anchor had a personal and profound message to people across the country when she reported live from the Coast the morning after the storm hit.
Roberts, like so many others that day, was overwhelmed with dread and uncertainty. Her mother and sister had weathered the storm in Biloxi, and she was desperate to find them. On air, with tears in her eyes, Roberts shared the emotional news that her family was safe.
“I’ll never forget looking around the area I grew up in, everything gone, all the landmarks, gone,” Roberts told WLOX ten years after the storm.
Roberts also helped shine the spotlight on South Mississippi while many national media outlets focused on New Orleans.
“Taking nothing away whatsoever from the manmade disaster in New Orleans and the horrors there. But when we’re talking about Katrina, Katrina hit Mississippi, and I want people to know that,” said Roberts.
You can watch “Hurricane Katrina: 20 Years After the Storm with Robin Roberts” on Friday, August 29, at 7 p.m. on WLOX-ABC.
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