Recovery Progresses As Mississippi Embraces Its Past 

Release Date: April 16, 2009
Release Number: 1604-708

» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Katrina

BILOXI, Miss. -- To appreciate Mississippi culture is to look into the rich tapestry of its past.

Nearly 1,300 listings with the National Register of Historic Places and 38 privately-sponsored historic landmarks provide tangible evidence of the state's heritage, its place in American history. As recovery from Hurricane Katrina progresses, state, tribal and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) experts strive to protect these vestiges of yesteryear.

Teams work to ensure that activities related to repair, restoration and replacement of infrastructure and protective measures against future disasters do not adversely affect historical sites and properties.

They also consider locations that have religious and cultural significance to federally recognized tribes.

Efforts include National Register eligibility recommendations for historic properties. The

National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. FEMA leads these efforts through its Environmental Planning and Historical

Preservation (EHP) section.

Some EHP disaster recovery work requires archaeological activities.

"When federal funding was approved to help rebuild the destroyed Ocean Springs pier, experts were called in to conduct an environmental assessment," said Environmental Liaison Officer Mike Grisham of FEMA. "The assessment was carried out to determine if there were cultural resources above or below the surface at the new site a quarter of a mile away."

 

FEMA archaeologists, in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) determined there were no significant resources that would be disturbed. A green light was given for construction of the new pier.

The SHPO and, where appropriate, the THPO provide FEMA with available information about historic properties within the declared Hurricane Katrina disaster area. A five-year agreement is in place to define the roles and responsibilities of each participant - state, tribal and federal - in the program as work progresses.

To date, nearly 15,000 private structures and more than 700 buildings have been recorded in the EHP database - and the work is ongoing. About 1,450 grants have been cleared and approved to protect and restore historic properties.

"It is important for the people to preserve Mississippi's legacy because it ties them to the history of their families and communities," said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Womack. "Also, many people pick places to visit for recreational travel based on the historical sites of the area."

A sampling from the state roster of historic restoration or repair projects funded by FEMA includes several Biloxi sites listed on the National Register that were severely affected by Hurricane Katrina: The Biloxi Lighthouse (erected 1848); the Saenger Theater (opened 1929); the Magnolia Hotel (built 1847); City Hall (opened 1908); and the Swetman House (built 1927). The list grows throughout the state as recovery progresses. A survey of historic sites and districts is currently underway in Hancock County, with additional ones planned for other counties.

Mississippi's history is in good hands.

FEMA was awarded the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chairman's Award for Federal Achievement in Historic Preservation in 2007 for work supporting heritage resources in Mississippi.

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system

of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

Last Modified: Thursday, 16-Apr-2009 15:30:46