It has been 10 years since hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. I was out there a few months after the storm to retrieve a Rhodes ketch I used to work on. We all have seen the devastating images of New Orleans. Less attention was given to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I was not prepared for what I would see. Whole neighborhoods unlivable, casino barges high and dry on the other side of Highway 90, a fishing vessel sitting a couple of blocks from downtown Biloxi. Here are some of the photos I took from that trip. The last one is of us leaving out of the channel. It was like motoring through a ghost town.
Let us not become complacent with the past years of slow hurricane seasons. Make sure you have a plan for your boat in place. Boat US has a information available to help with this task. You can get it here: http://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/brochure.asp Also check to see if your insurance policy has hurricane protection that covers some of the cost to haul your boat or move it to a safe harbor when a named storm is threatening. This can be helpful when the time comes to prepare your boat.