Memorial planned for 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
By Toni Miles
This photo was taken of what was left of Highway 90 and the waterfront in Long Beach on August 30, 2005, the day after Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, devastating South Mississippi and the region. (Photo credit Toni Miles)
For those who lived in South Mississippi or nearby areas, reminders of Hurricane Katrina are not necessary, as the heart-wrenching scenes, losses and the lives of local residents who were lost are etched forever in the minds of Katrina survivors. On Friday, August 29, the City of Long Beach will be hosting a special memorial on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
The memorial, set for 12:15 until 12:45 p.m. at the Long Beach City Hall located at 201 Jeff Davis Avenue, will be hosted by the Long Beach Mayor and Board of Aldermen and is an event to remember all that was devastated and lost by Hurricane Katrina when the Category 3 hurricane made landfall just west of Long Beach on August 29, 2005.
The solemn gathering is free and open to the public and will include a moment of silence and special remarks while offering attendees the opportunity to pay tribute to the city’s strength and spirit.
At least 238 Mississippians died when Katrina made her way through Mississippi twenty years ago. The storm also caused more than $125 billion in damage in the state.
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- This August 30, 2005, photo captures just a small snapshot of the unprecedented devastation caused by Katrina. Pictured here are the east-bound lanes of Highway 90 and the tattered beachfront located near St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. (Photo credit Toni Miles)
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- This photo, showing what soon became a commonplace scene throughout the area, was taken in Long Beach the day after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Mississippi Gulf Coast. (Photo credit: Toni Miles)
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- St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church was one of the few structures that had at least some remnants of the building still intact after Hurricane Katrina ripped apart the Mississippi Gulf Coast twenty years ago. The church rebuilt in its same location on Highway 90 in Long Beach. (Photo credit Toni Miles)
