Gulfport is a coastal town located on the Gulf Mexico with the third busiest container port on the U.S Gulf of Mexico and is also the second largest city in the State of Mississippi. The town was incorporated in 1898 and the port opened in 1902. It started out as a lumber and port city and has now become known for its floating casinos. Before Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the late summer of 2005, million-dollar homes were set behind ancient oak trees lining the 6.7 miles of man-made white sand beaches along the Gulf. Now most residences, hotels, and businesses lay in ruins as a result of the Category 4 hurricane, which has been called the "worst natural disaster in US history."

Many businesses and homes are unusable throughout the town, but little by little, the residents and business owners are working together to bring the town back to its former self. When I arrived for a week on business at the end of October 2005, I was able to visit a couple of the areas that were hardest hit. Driving down I-90 was heartbreaking, but being welcomed into the local restaurants that have been able to reopen since the storm was uplifting. I visited a local Mexican restaurant called Los Tres Amigos and the local Cracker Barrel, both of which were packed with customers. Communities have a way of banding together when a crisis strikes and showing the strength needed to bring life back.

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If you visit this area within the next few months, you will be staying at least 45 minutes from the town of Gulfport. While some of the hotels and motels are open and running in the area, there is very limited availability due to the rooms being reserved for the health and clean-up and assistance workers. Try Biloxi or Mobile for places to stay.

Restaurants and fast-food places are working with limited menus. Gas stations are not working in town or only have certain pumps working. This has also turned into pay-before-you-pump, as the stations were getting a lot of pump-and-run situations.

Bring sanitizer and bottled water, as I'm not sure how good the tap water is. In certain areas, the smell in the air from the broken sewer lines is tremendous. If you are looking to enter into the coastal areas, you better know someone who has a pass who can get past the armed guards stationed at each entry road to the beach area to deter looters and keep unnecessary traffic to a minimum.

Bring patience and understanding. American Red Cross can still use your help.

${BestWay} Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport
14035 - L Airport Road, Gulfport, MS 39503 228/863-5951
Serviced by five airlines: AirTran, American Eagle, Continental, Delta, and Northwest, with connectors from Atlanta, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Memphis, Orlando, and Tampa

Most roads are clear, car traffic is heavy, and rental cars can be obtained at the airport.

Interstate 90, which was the main coastal highway from Florida to Louisiana, is basically impassable and has been replaced by Route 10 heading east and west.

From journal Gulfport, Mississippi, after Katrina