Though Decades Have Passed, This Deadly Mississippi Storm Will Never Be Forgotten
By Daniella DiRienzo|Published December 17, 2017
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Daniella DiRienzo
Author
Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for more than 30 years. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships. In the years since, she’s had the privilege of having her articles appear in several publications, such as the Mississippi-based Parents & Kids Magazine. She’s also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience.
Mississippi has seen its fair share of hurricanes. Luckily, many of the storms that have hit the state caused little damage. However, every so often a hurricane so severe comes along, it’s nearly impossible to forget – and that’s exactly what happened in 1969 when Hurricane Camille wreaked havoc on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Camille made landfall near Waveland, MS on the night of August 17, 1969.
The powerful storm is one of only three Category 5 hurricanes to hit the U.S. in the last century. It’s also the 2nd most intense hurricane (in terms of pressure) to ever strike the continental U.S.
The storm slammed south Mississippi with winds over 175 mph and a storm surge of 24.6’ in Pass Christian.
Hurricane Camille was so powerful that she destroyed all of the wind recording equipment in the landfall area. Though it's estimated that gusts reached 200 mph, the actual sustained winds aren't known.
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Electricity went out almost immediately, leaving residents in the dark as howling winds and ferocious waves pounded the area.
Many coastal residents who chose to ride out the storm wound up stranded on rooftops, hoping to survive the destructive storm surge and powerful gusts.
The high storm surge flooded and destroyed the apartment building (pictured above). Though the tale of the hurricane party has never been confirmed, it's said that all but one of the 24 party goers died in the storm.
On August 18th, residents awoke to a shocking sight – complete and utter destruction.
Mounds of debris encompassed huge stretches of land, homes had been completely wiped out, and boats washed far inland. According to records, the storm destroyed 3,800 homes and businesses and left thousands homeless.
Following the storm, travel was nearly impossible as roads and bridges were severely damaged or full of debris.
Highway 90, a main roadway on the Gulf Coast, was badly damaged. In addition to being full of sand and debris, the road actually broke apart in several areas.
Though Mississippi was the hit the hardest, Hurricane Camille also caused damage in several other states, including Louisiana, Alabama, and Virginia.
The storm claimed the lives of more than 200 people; 141 of which were Mississippians. In the end, Camille caused over $1 billion in damage, which is a little over $9 million in today's money!
Get a closer look at Hurricane Camille in the video below.
So, do you remember Camille? Have a story to share about the storm? How’d it compare to Katrina? We want to hear from you! Tell us in the comments section.
