Found at: http://twowheelsburning.com/article/articleprint/110/-1/10/

Hurricane Katrina devastates Pascagoula, MS


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I remain very concerned for my family in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Update: Thankfully, we have confirmed they are all alive.

UPDATE: FOUND ALIVE!

My Aunt Elizabeth writes:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Our adventure
Date: Mon, 05 Sep 2005 17:17:38 -0500
From: waldorfd

Dear Folks,

We are touched by the many expressions of concern you have sent. Our warmest thanks go to you.

Thinking that further from the storm was safer, we spent Katrina with my aged folks in Pascagoula. This unprecedented storm blew in surprises. Whereas in Camille, the worst storm heretofore water did not get into my childhood house, this time we watched water climb around our knees up to 29”. To help each other we remained calm outside, with lots of anxiety within. My almost 97 year old dad, 85 year old mom, David and I were jubilant when it began to recede. The south wind pushing water on shore coincided with the high tide. The entry and exit of the surge took only about 3 hours. Pascagoula took a surge of 18 feet, further west it reached 28’. Unfortunately it brought in a generous layer of mud.

My step brother scooped up Dad and Mom Saturday taking them to his home in St. Charles, MO for a vacation. Back in Biloxi our house remained dry and today at noon power was restored allowing me to contact you. The high wind tried to transplant a large live oak into our house, but the house resisted.

We love you all,

Elizabeth & David


I received the following information very late on 01 Sep 05:

Subject: family survived at south Williams St. Pascagoula
Date: Thu, 01 Sep 2005 19:11:49 -0700
From: 	Glenda & Vic Sims 

We just heard news that our loved ones on the south end of Williams St in 
Pascagoula survived their stay in the house.  The house was half block north 
of Washington Ave - very near Beach Blvd.  It suffered 5 feet of water, as 
did the north-side neighbor.  They have water (not drinkable) - but no phone 
or electricity.  We were contacted with the news by a good samaritan with a 
borrowed out-of-town cell phone.  This person relayed to us that I-10 and 
Hwy 90 were both open from Mobile into Pasc.  And the major streets into 
Pasc are open.  We hope that this news brings hope to others.

Glenda & Vic Sims

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	THEY'RE ALIVE!!!
Date: 	Thu, 01 Sep 2005 20:57:12 -0400
From: 	Laura Sims
To: 	bob.sims


You can breathe now.  They're okay.
 
Mom just called.  Mrs. Westmoreland drove to Pasc. from Birmingham today. 
Mom talked with Eliz. and Elnora.  Said that the grandparents are frail, 
but okay. A good samaritan went to Biloxi to check out Eliz. house, and 
it's in good condition, no flooding thanks to being on a hill.  One tree 
down on a corner of a house, I think she said. 
 
Williams St. place had about 29 inches of water.  They just sat in the living
room in the water to wait out the storm.
 
Eliz. is taking grandparents to her place tonight to sleep in comfort at her 
place.  Tomorrow Elton is driving down to take the grandparents back to his 
place.
 
They're okay!  Mom had to say it a few times before I understood what she was
talking about.  Mom-n-dad haven't figured out when they are going down, maybe
in a few weeks.
 
Thank God!  I love you so much, Bob.  I am so incredibly thankful that they are
okay, and Jack still has such a large extended family.
 
xoxo,
 
Laura Sims

The following information about my missing family members is now obsolete, as we have confirmed they are alive (see above). However, I will leave this page online for now to assist others looking for Pascagoula information.


Four generations at Beach Park, Pascagoula, MS.
I have not heard from my grandparents (Victor and Elnora Sims), or my Dad's sister and brother-in-law (David and Elizabeth Waldorf). The last time anyone heard from them, they were in my Granddad's home, a small house off of Williams Street in Pascagoula. This was on Monday morning as the storm made landfall. We are also worried about Joe Westmoreland's family, who are my grandparents' neighbors on Williams Street.

We were tremendously relieved to hear that Dub Clearman, my mother's Dad, was able to make it out alive. Mom wrote:

Just talked to Kitty. Papaw is in Jackson with Cherry's family. No other news. She will see if she can find anyone around Vicksburg with contact to Pascagoula.

Although the Katrina story is getting worldwide coverage (including the BBC), there has been very little news out of Pascagoula. Most of the media coverage seems focused on New Orleans, Biloxi, and Mobile. Here are some links that we have been able to find: My brother Jim found this information about the evacuation order:

"In Jackson County, mandatory evacuations were invoked at 8 a.m. Sunday
for all areas south of U.S. 90 and in the Flood A zone and all low-lying
areas. Darryl Goldmen, radio emergency community coordinator at county
emergency management in Pascagoula, said all areas south of I-10 are
"highly recommended" for evacuation."

Laura wrote this about her last contact with the family on Williams Street:

This may help a little... I was able
to talk with U. David on Monday morning at 6:50 their time (on Williams
St.).  I could hear Aunt E. talking in the background telling U. David what
to say.  He sounded good but concerned.  A branch was down in the driveway,
but no other damage.  A funny: I had to remind him who I was.. "I'm Bob's
wife, Laura".  We both chuckled a little, which is funny in itself, hearing
U. David chuckle.  It was pretty early to call, but I figured they would be
up anyway.  Plus I was afraid the phone lines might go out.

These family members are currently missing:
Victor and Elnora Sims (my grandparents)
David and Elizabeth Waldorf (my uncle and aunt)

The last we heard from them, they were in Victor's home at 612 Williams Street (approximate location) at about 0700 local time on Monday. This house is near the intersection of Market Street and Washington Avenue.

Victor and Elnora's house is a small, older red brick home with white trim, located on the east side of Williams Street just a few hundred feet north of Washington Avenue. The house is behind and adjacent to the Beach Elementary School. He had a 1983 Dodge pickup parked in the front driveway. The truck was light blue in color with a lot of surface rust. The truck also had a white camper shell. There would probably have been a vintage Ford sedan (a Falcon, as I remember) in the driveway as well.

The house had an attached carport on the back, and there was probably an older model Cadillac in the carport at the time of the storm. There were two metal sheds on concrete slabs behind the house. Each shed measured about 20' square, each containing tools and machine shop equipment. There was a large oak tree in front of the house, and several large pines and magnolias throughout the yard as well.

The house is immediately south of the home of Joe Westmoreland and his family, who we are also concerned about.

We know that all four people were in the house as of 8:00 AM on Monday morning, September 29th. This was well after the mandatory evacuation order and after the storm made landfall.

Elnora and Victor Sims
Both Victor and Elnora are of medium height. Victor is 96 years old and physically frail, although he is able to walk. He is of very slender build, with dark skin with white hair and a bushy white beard. He years large, dark colored horn-rimmed glasses. Elnora is taller and of medium build, with pale skin. She also wears large, horned rimmed glasses, although they are lighter in color than Victor's. She has a prominent mole on her chin.

Elizabeth and David are both of medium height and slender build. Elizabeth has short, graying brown hair, not quite to shoulder length. David wears glasses and has gray hair. He has difficulty breathing, and frequently wheezes or coughs deeply.

I would appreciate any relevant information on their current location. You may contact me or post to the comments below. You can also contact my mother Glenda by cell phone (voice or text) at (541)292-3221. We will continue to remain optimistic and patient.

Many thanks to Laura for providing these additional photos.

Vic Sims with his great grandson Jack.


Vic Sims with his great grandson Jack.


David Waldorf and nephew Jack.


UPDATE (01 Sep 05): This is potentially good news. Thanks to Mom and Cookie for finding this recent hi-res aerial image (3.35 MB) of storm damage along the Pascagoula coast. If you zoom in, you can clearly see the roof of the Williams Street house. We remain cautiously optimistic, as this image only provides a one-dimensional perspective. I created an annotated version. Sorry it is in Powerpoint format -- I'm currently limited on image editing software.

Also, for those of you who are bandwidth-gifted, there is a gigantic 139.5 MB (!) archive file of high-res NOAA images of Pascagoula damage here. If anyone is actually able to download and view these, please post your observations below. Unfortunately, I have only a very narrow pipe of connectivity.

Dad forwarded the following update out of Pascagoula:

Baytowers is a retirements apt complex just three blocks (or two long blocks) from the beach on Market Street. Baytowers is one long block directly north of Beach School and we know of course that Beach School is adjacent to our house. Butch & Mike are high school classmates of mine; Mike is married to Anne Marie Meek-Bryant, a distant relative of mine, and also a classmate.

Dad

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Butch Arnold
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 01:22:47 EDT
Subject: News from Butch Arnold via MikeBryant

This is from Butch Arnold (Bay Towers on Market Street) in Pascagoula, MS

Hello Guys, Sorry I have not been able to call out or use the cell. Towers are out every where along the coast. It is a mess here. Pascagoula has about 80% of it's houses flooded and we are lucky compared to other areas. There was not that much wind damage, just water. We had an experience. We were not able to evacuate all of out people out of Bay Towers so we had to ride out the storm there. I am so lucky my son stayed. We had to carry 3 people upstairs to keep them out of the water. It was 6 feet high on the first floor. Bay Towers is a very solid building. Maybe the second safest building in Jackson County. I was not concerned staying there. A friend of mine's house collapsed on them. They are safe. A couple had to swim to our building and they broke a glass to get inside. They are still staying with us. No where else to go, I did lose two cars, a camper and Allen's new truck and Haley also bit the farm. Most of my stuff was insured, not the camper, Hg! I am lucky I live in a high section of town so I did not get water damage to the house. Just some wind damage, but there are so many people here that lost everything they have including their jobs. I know you are watching the news but it can't show how the people are feeling. Most are upbeat. It has happened before but not like this in my lifetime. Assistance is coming in but until they get it going it is Tuff in this heat and humidity. Thanks guys for asking, and caring and I hope to be writing again soon. Take care and pray for us all as we pray for each other.


All,

I am active duty Army currently serving in the Middle East. I am urgently seeking information on my elderly grandparents Vic/Elnora Sims, last heard from 0700 local Mon AM at their home on Williams St. Having trouble accessing this board.

I have posted more information and links to Pascagoula information here:
http://twowheelsburning.com/article/articleview/110

You are welcome to leave comments on the above linked page to share other Pascagoula information. It's the least I can provide given my distance.

You all remain in my prayers.

Bob

Attached files

Annotated NOAA image
An annotated hi-res aerial NOAA image of Pascagoula beachfront damage. Image dated Aug. 30, 2005.

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