A Shell of a Gulf Coast Neighborhood post-Hurricane

I’ve covered a lot of miles, states, and sites in the last several days, and I’ll share on that shortly. But first, a short missive from the Belle Fontaine Beach Subdivision along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I was on my way from Alabama to New Orleans, and I decided to take a detour. I looked on the map for something resembling public land, which I could presumably drive to and park for a bit. I decided to go for the Bellefontaine Marsh Coastal Preserve directly on the Gulf. I pointed my GPS to it, and it led me straight to… a cul-de-sac in a suburban neighborhood (with the only Trump flag in the neighborhood located right at the end of the cul-de-sac).

Well, that was a dud. So I decided to look a little more closely on the map to find another option. I identified Belle Fontaine Drive, running right along the gulf. Sure, why not.

I drove over to that road and followed it to its end. I found a fascinating and eerie sight. The day was particularly gray, and the gulf, while calm, had an air of foreboding about it. Perhaps it was the fog in the distance, or perhaps it was the state of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood’s entrance was announced with an obtrusive sign, forcefully noting to visitors that everything they encounter is, indeed, private property. This wasn’t terribly surprising, as I realized I was entering a waterfront community that was likely to be full of wealthy folks. But as I began my drive in, I was confronted with the darker reality of this neighborhood: cleared lots, many with debris and cracked concrete, vacant homes, and No Trespassing signs peppered throughout. Oh, and so many For Sale signs all over the neighborhood. Some selling land, others selling cleared lots, and some selling houses.

Clearly, this neighborhood located on the Gulf had been victim to a destructive hurricane. I asked a gentleman who was taking his trash to the curb about it. He told me most of the destruction is from Katrina, over 15 years ago. Wow.

I drove down and back and just wanted to share with you some of my photos. To be fair, there were still plenty of beautiful occupied homes in this neighborhood, and even one that was actively being constructed. So I don’t want to paint to bleak a picture. But the photos I took were of the most haunting scenes.