The new Gulf: Safe enough?
Post-Katrina building is booming. But conflict is rising over safety regs vs. economic needs.
from the May 20, 2008 edition
Page 3 of 4
The new Gulf: Safe enough?
Post-Katrina building is booming. But conflict is rising over safety regs vs. economic needs. Read more...
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In Pictures: Is the new Gulf safe enough?
Related story: Recovery's worker bees bring different flavor to Gulf Coast
Mississippi's new moneyed class prefers monster trucks and jet skis to fine art. Read more...
Why a Gulf wetlands may become a city
Hurricane Katrina battered Bay St. Louis, Miss. Now, developers plan a condo city nearby. Read more...
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Audio slide show: The progress and problems in rebuiding the Gulf Coast
Related story: At U.S. Army Corps, shift of mission hasn't come easily
Its intent is to become America's coastal policy innovator, but its reputation as 'Congress's general contractor' is proving hard to shake. Read more...
Cottages are lightning rod in storm over Gulf's future look
Many Mississippi towns want the tiny homes gone by next spring, but some envision them as a cornerstone of the post-Katrina coast. Read more...
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Watch video: Cottage industry
"One guy is building 12 feet in the air because he's freaked out. The next guy is building at eight feet because that's the new flood regs," says Bounds. "The next guy is building at four feet because he's grandfathered in [to the pre-Katrina code requirements], and the next guy is building right on the beach because he knew somebody at city hall and was able to get away with it."
State officials say Mississippi has done a good job overall of balancing needs of people and businesses with mandates for stronger building materials and height requirements for homes in flood zones.
"A comprehensive recovery program has to include the whole package: direct assistance, help to build more homes, partnering with people who can build on a large scale, and economic ... development," says Lee Youngblood, spokesman for the Mississippi Development Authority, the purse-string holder for federal recovery grants. "We're trying to make sure we're good stewards of the money we're giving, trying to make sure we get as many of our recovery needs met ... not just in terms of housing but long-term infrastructure and things we're going to need to sustain jobs."
There's a reason economic concerns compete with safety. The recovery has been tenuous, "much, much slower than we all thought it would be," says Bay St. Louis historian Charles Gray. Thousands of Gulf Coast residents have permanently relocated. Condo construction has leveled off as part of the national housing slowdown, and communities like Bay St. Louis are desperate for tax and fee revenues to repay storm-related loans.
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