Gulfport

We're back in Gulfport, Mississippi today...Got a chance to walk around the neighborhoods a little bit. It's still amazing to me how complete the destruction is. Homes were moved a quarter mile inland by the storm surge. There are piles of debris everywhere- an effort to clear the streets, but the homeowners seem to be doing little to cleanup. Clearly it's an overwhelming task. Personal belongings are what really make you pause as you walk through the debris- a high school yearbook from the 1940's complete with notes from friends- albums, photographs that are torn, and waterlogged, but still clear enough to make out. Today alone I saw a wedding photo, a picture of a woman in a naval uniform, a school picture of a little boy. Helicopters fly over us every few miniutes and military in humvees roll by. There are American flags everywhere- tied to trees, debris, whatever anyone can find to hold them up. Many of the homes that are still partially standing have notes on them in spraypaint-"We are okay!" read one. We parked next to the oldest elementary school in Gulfport. The surge took everything out of the building and the wind peeled back the roof. One the front of the barely standing structure was a small "SOLD" sign. A sign that rebuilding here is a daunting task.