INFRUSTRUCTURE: UTILITIES, ROADS AND BRIDGES 
 
Hurricane Katrina inflicted severe damages to the infrastructure of nearly all of   Mississippi’s Gulf Coast communities. The water, gas and electrical infrastructure seemed to be a favorite target. The devastating storm ripped structures from their foundations, toppled buildings, and ultimately crippled the utility infrastructure. 
 
One of the first steps in recovery is debris removal. Nearly 46 million cubic yards of debris has been removed throughout the entire state.  Imagine a football field filled approximately five miles high.  
 
The city of Waveland has almost completed their gas line replacement thanks to a $6 million grant from FEMA.  Waveland has requested an additional $1 million to repair damage that was not visible from the surface. This gas line project is 98 percent complete and should be finished in approximately three months.   
 
Completion of the Waveland gas line is an excellent symbol of recovery.  Water and sewer repair and replacement are currently in Phase 1 and will be finished next.  Many municipal buildings will need to be replaced or relocated throughout the lower three coastal counties.  The majority of buildings in the cities of Waveland, Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian were either damaged or destroyed.  Most of these buildings will be relocated and some will be combined into municipal complexes.  Mississippi is working closely with the local governments to resolve all issues so the recovery process may be completed as soon as possible. 
 
To date, FEMA has obligated (paid to the state) $443.2 million to help restore Mississippi utilities, roads and bridges. Of that total, the state has disbursed $212 million to its applicants.