Long Recovery

A lot has been said about the speed with which CSX rebuilt its

Gulf Coast rail line after Hurricane Katrina. But a few steps

from the track is a landscape unlike anything seen since the

Indonesian tsunami.

It’s almost nine months since Hurri- hard work of rebuilding from the ground cane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, sending up. A gleaming Rolls Royce was parked on a storm surge punching through homes a concrete slab next to one Bay St. Louis and businesses as far as three miles trailer; a make-shift shrine to the Virgin inland, and the region is still struggling Mary stood outside another. to recover. In Pass Christian, Miss. — The Isle of Capri Casino has reopened pre-storm population, 6,655 — it’s hard in Biloxi, where shrimp boat captains to tell where the houses were. All that’s worry about how they’ll get ice to preserve left in most cases are concrete slabs. their catch when the shrimping season

A powerboat swept inland lies mired begins this month. alongside a car in a rutted muddy swamp Route 49 south into Gulfport was filled that once was neighborhood. Except for with trucks and construction traffic. The one castle-like home built entirely of cin- Port of Gulfport is proceeding with a $250 derblock, there’s not a house to be seen for million building plan approved before the miles. A local sheriff’s checkpoint keeps storm. Five ships a week are calling at the all but residents from the heart of the port. Operations Manager Dale Waltman community, now a cluster of FEMA trail- says his workforce is back. “There’s a good ers by a handful of rebuilt homes. labor force here,” Waltman said. “I’m just

The only local sign of economic revival afraid if they don’t build back quickly is the aptly named “Kafe Katrina,” proudly enough they’ll move away.” serving lunch and the King of Beers. That’s the fate bedeviling New Orleans,

The view was similar along the Missis- where mile upon mile of flood-wracked sippi Coast April 27, as I traveled from neighborhoods are filled with rotting New Orleans to Biloxi, Miss., with Gulf houses that may never be rebuilt. The city Shipper Editor Janet Plume. lost about half its population after the

Bay St. Louis, Miss., used to be a quick storm, creating a dire labor shortage. drive across the Route 90 bridge from Pass No homes means no workers, no jobs, Christian — but although CSX repaired and that that complicates a recovery effort the rail bridge across St. Louis Bay, the in which the freight transportation indus-road bridge is still out. For miles along the try plays a critical part. In next week’s Gulf, entire blocks of homes were sand- Traffic World, we’ll look at that how that blasted by the storm. Only concrete campaign is unfolding, as another hurri-pylons that supported homes show where cane season approaches. houses once stood.

Yet in Mississippi there are signs of revival. In many communities, FEMA trailers are parked next to piles of building supplies as homeowners get down to the

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