Gentlemen and Ladies of the Class of 1961
Subject: Follow up to coast report September 3, 2005
Dear Friends,
I thank you for replies and encouragement. My life continues at near
normal - I'm back in Jackson now with daughter and trying to figure
out how I get enough gas to fill my truck and every can I can get
to head south. As reported, my house is in exceptional shape but being
away from the coast is hard. I feel like I'm abandoning my community.
I take solace in accomplishing something that did help. I returned
to the coast Thursday with the sole intent of getting the 90 gallons
of gas in my boat. My son-in-law rigged an auto gas pump so I could
connect to a battery and pump the gas out. Frustration set in when
late Thursday we tried to pump it out through the gas fill hose. The
pump was not strong enough and we faced getting to it some other way.
I now know how to drain gas from a boat - to wit: you disconnect the
gas line under the cowling, attach the pump we had, and 5 hours later
you have extracted 90 gallons of gas for car and generator use. Gas
is liquid gold! on the coast and all points north including Jackson
at this point. Some of that gas went to my fishing buddy who rode
out the storm in his house 2 blocks off the beach in Biloxi. Miracles,
he has some damage but the water only came to his last step, and the
Beau Rivage and Hard Rock casinos as well as the doctors office to
his east blocked enough. Everything south of him - McElroy's Harbor
House, Mary Mahoney's, gas stations, and other landmarks - are gone.
He and his 13 year-old son rode out the storm together. He is now
on generator and still sleeping in the house. His office - Physical
Therapy practice in D'Iberville, north of the back Bay - had 4-5 ft
of water in it. Every parking lot in OS looks like a staging area
for a war - 1500 national guard troops at the little OS airport, transformers
and big trucks all over - for levity, 2 tractor trailers I saw near
my office are "Shower Units" where workers shower. OS as
far as I can tell is secure and coming back. the area ! between Biloxi
and Bay St. Louis/Waveland is another story. A friend f rom Hattiesburg
- the Pinebelt has pine trees and many are down and a royal mess -
has a place at Bay St. Louis and tried to get to it Thursday. He was
turned back but was able to see some and did find a few places at
least standing. His is very doubtful. The report from 2 neigbors -
one a fireman in Biloxi and the other Gulfport - are sobering - bodies
in refrigerated containers, wild boars from Deer Island running around
Biloxi, chickens strewn for miles from a containers that was at the
Port of Gulfport, and the stories go on. Thanks for your thoughts
and prayers.
F. J.
F. J. "Duck" and Kathy Eicke
Added on September 6, 2005
Friends from Dartmouth and since,
The stories continue to amaze me. My former colleague lives in a home
I did not conceive being flooded - he was. Moved his Ford F-150 90
degrees and pushed it into the home - up an incline. I saw the Ocean
Springs to Biloxi bridge today and could not believe that it is a
series of pilings - a 4 lane bridge. Another professional friend who
will stay with me when he returns from Atlanta rode out the storm
in the 2nd story of his home some distance from water and has rubble
on the 1st now. His office near the beach in Biloxi is gutted. We
seem to be looking at a wall of water 30 or more feet high that pounded
this area for hours and grew as it did. Houses that were not considered
flood areas - flooded. This is the 100 year event.
For my part, things have settled - we have electricity, water, the
essentials and then some. Kathy remains in Jackson with one daughter
who is expecting twins in early December - her priorities (and preferences)
at this point are obvious but there is really nothing she could do
here. She plans to return with me to the coast after a trip I have
scheduled to N. MS next week. I met an employee of MS Power yesterday
who commented on the crews from all over (NY, NC, VA, FL and many
other states) who are in here. The cooperative agreement is that we
get help now - they go north for ice storms and blizzards. This is
a great country and we seldom appreciate it.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers - they are perceptible The electricity
just went off at the office.
Updated on 9/15/2005
Dear Friends,
One of my loves has been temporarily suspended - my Mississippi SeaWolves
could not meet the challenge of Katrina and have suspended play for
2005-06. The notices promise a return in 2006-07 for our 10th Anniversary
Year in the 11th year of the team. Apparently, overtures were received
from Mobile to play there - Mobile's Mysticks had been in the ECHL
until they folded 3 years ago and became the Gwinnett Gladiators,
the team that has beaten us in the past two Kelly Cup playoffs. Besides
being housed in a flooded Coliseum, the Coliseum was undergoing renovations
and had no seats in the prime locations (including our seating). There
are more pressing concerns in this area at this point than Coliseum
seating. I am already considering my travel schedule to coincide with
probable games in Huntsville, AL (an SPHL team and the college UAH
team), Atlanta or Nashville (with Minnesota as their opponent???),
and (of course) a hope that the Houston Aeros will be in town when
I am there in October. Then there is always the possibility of including
a Dartmouth Men's or Women's game somewhere for a return to hockey
fever with the spirit of AJO ("Porkchop" to classmates)
accompanying me as in long past years.
Kathy and I returned to the coast today and the crisis atmosphere
is starting to subside. We are now in the planning for rebuilding
stage and hopefully promises from President Bush will speed that process
to rebuilding. I have yet to venture into Biloxi but may this weekend
since the Isle of Capri casino has reopened and the marina where my
boat is located when in the water is next to the Isle. You have seen
the picture of the coast and I guess it is time to face the real thing
for me. Ocean Springs has given me an appreciation for what a storm
like Katrina can do to friends and colleagues. My home was used by
a fellow psychologist this past week who lost his Perdido Key condo
to Hurricane Ivan last year and his home and office to Katrina this
year. He returns next week with a new car (his was flooded) and hopes
electricity is restored in his second story (the first was gutted
by flood waters) and can live there. our hope is that he stays with
us since he will be more comfortable but it is truly amazing to observe
the sense of home that one has under these circumstances.
We seem to have done reasonably well in Mississippi and not had the
controversy that has complicated the situation in New Orleans. Since
becoming a Mississippian in 1972, I have always appreciated how independent
we tend to be and how persevering. There are "feel good"
stories appearing on our local television station that I hope you
are seeing as well - the rescue of the dolphins from Marine Life in
Gulfport after 17 days in the wild, old Marines from North Carolina
in the area and serving meals to locals with a smile and embrace,
people waving to each other during even casual contacts and signs
of appreciation for those who helped us ("Ocean Springs Loves
You" on Hwy 90 near my office). Please keep us in your thoughts
and prayers.
Added on October 14, 2005
I was reminded in a meeting today that we tend to turn off communication
after a period of time post-Katrina (or any event of such a nature)
and thought I would pick up with an update from the Mississippi Coast.
We continue to pursue New Normal although a number of other slogans
compete (Renaissance, Together We Will Rebuild). Hurricane Rita did
her dirty deed three weeks later and distracted the attention elsewhere
for a time. My coast is devastated. I have now been to Pt. Cadet and
could not believe what I saw. Imagine a four lane bridge with each
span sitting in the water - across a two ile stretch of Bay entrance.
I know this is but a small part of the devastation that confronts
us. Please picture what must have been a 30+ wall of water hitting
the coast from west to east - a distance of some 70-80 miles - with
devastating force. Beach areas were wiped clean - no debris to gather.
A Bay St. Louis friend found parts of his house two blocks away. The
attitude continues to be generally upbeat. Some of my fishing colleagues
lost homes and jobs and are doing any number of things now to survive.
Kathy has been volunteering at our church shelter and comes home daily
in tears and with stories to justify the tears. The outpouring of
help from around the country has been heartwarming. We now have authrorized
casinos on land and a bevy of urban planners (urbanists), architects
and local/state leaders have been meeting in Biloxi (at a casino)
to start shaping the new coast with a sense of its history. Plan to
come down in a year or two and I know you will find a positive and
growing community. I would recommend the special issue of National
Geographic if you have not bought a copy.
Life goes on - we now have a date for delivery of our Daughter Johanna's
twin boys - the Friday before Thanksgiving. We expect to have a very
special Thanksgiving 2005.
Added on November 11, 2005
The impact of Katrina continues to amaze me. Kathy and I went to
the Pt. Cadet Marina in Biloxi (where I have a slip for my boat) and
found the slips intact but the buildings either gone or severely damaged.
There are boats back in some slips and some boaters living on their
boats even without electricity. The fishing is reported as excellent
but I have not found time to get out. The SPEC project at Gulf Coast
Research Lab was destroyed but the staff is already replenishing the
breeders and started with a 10 pound speckled seatrout (the big ones
are females and the problem in breeding in captivity is that the females
eat the smaller males). When the spawning stock was found dead due
to loss of electricity and damage to the tanks, the females had eggs
and under the microscope were judged as ripe. Another one of the impacts
of Katrina - a project CCA supported - was SO CLOSE. The devastation
- and sheer enormity of what happened - continues to amaze me - like
the huge Grand Casino barge sitting across Hwy 90 and on top of what
was the Biloxi Yacht Club. Pictures do not do this justice. Every
day has reports of new beginnings or ideas taking shape but it will
be slow and our history is destroyed. Ocean Springs held the Peter
Anderson Festival this past weekend and the crowds were out, even
with rain on Saturday. If you want a look at the Mississippi Gulf
Coast as it was and some of how it is now, send a check for $25.00
to WLBT/Katrina 2005, 715 S. Jefferson, P. O. Box 1712, Jackson, MS
39215-1712. The DVD is done by Walt Grayson who does "Looking Around
Mississippi" and is low key and personal in his presentation. Thanks
for listening. Prayers and thoughts welcome. F. J. & Kathy
Our best to each of you.
F. J. & Kathy Eicke
