Feds Propose Massive Buyout for Mississippi Coast

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proposing a federal buyout of 17,000 properties along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Many homes and businesses on the land were destroyed when Hurricane Katrina came ashore in 2005. The proposal would be the largest federal buyout ever in the United States.
Residents who have been trying to rebuild over the past two years oppose the idea because they believe the corps' strategy would mean the end of some small Mississippi communities.

Driving along the Mississippi coastline on Highway 90 between Pascagoula and Bay St. Louis — a span of some 70 miles — the rebuilding is evident. The sprawling casinos are back. So are hotels. High rise condos are going up. Even some of the magnificent homes along the shoreline are appearing once again.

Jim Thriffiley, president of the Bay St. Louis, Miss., City Council, is thrilled with the progress along Main Street, which is several blocks from the water.

But right along the shoreline, there's a patchwork of new construction and lots of open, vacant space. "This lot here had a million-dollar home on it," Thriffiley said. "It disappeared." Another five homes just up the coastline were washed away in the storm, along with hundreds of others.

Thriffiley and others along the coast say the Corps of Engineers' proposal to buy out 17,000 properties is a mistake. They say government is basing the idea on the worst storm that ever hit this area. But they say that's not likely to happen again.

Susan Rees, head of the Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program, said the buyout is not an overreaction.

Even though officials stress the plan is voluntary, some residents worry that if they refuse an offer, they won't be able to afford to stay because their federal flood insurance will escalate. Others say the corps and FEMA have to find a way to work better with residents and local governments to earn their trust and support.


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