If you are looking for a fun excuse to get outside, explore the Mississippi Coast and learn at the same time, I have just the trip for you!
But first, did you see my Facebook Live debut? On May 15, the Northern Gulf Sentinel Site Cooperative went live on the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Facebook page for a virtual field trip to some of Mississippi’s High Water Markers. These markers are physical signs with three colors: red shows the high water mark from Hurricane Katrina (2005), blue shows the high water mark from Hurricane Camille (1969) and black shows the base flood elevation, which is how high water is expected to rise in a large storm event. It is also important to know that the base flood elevation will change over time with sea-level rise.
You might remember reading about this project when it was unveiled, or maybe you have seen the markers around! There was a great Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant article explaining the development of the project.
The fun and educational trip I mentioned at the start of this post is the easy exploration of the high water community markers along the Mississippi Coast. These locations are outdoors in public areas, so you can get outside and still be able to follow social distancing guidelines. There are quite a few of them, so I want to highlight some of my favorites.
If you have young kids or active teenagers, I definitely recommend the marker in Henderson Point Park - 87 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Pass Christian. The markers are on a support that is right next to a kids play structure so you can play and learn at the same time. Look for the markers to the left of the large gazebo.
If you are looking for shade on a sunny day or cover on a rainy day, another stop can be the Barksdale Pavilion in Jones Park - 1177 20th Ave., Gulfport. These markers are on the southwest corner of the pavilion.
If you will be spending time at the beach, there are three different comfort stations with markers: 96 Courthouse Road, Gulfport; 2375 Beach Blvd., Biloxi; and 1669 Beach Blvd., Biloxi. The markers at all three of the comfort stations are really interactive! Because the comfort stations have stairs, you can actually walk up to the height of each marker. This really lets you look out at the area and see what it would mean for the water level to be that high.
The final marker location that I want to highlight is the one at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum - 115 1st St., Biloxi. The high water mark lines that stretch around one of the support columns at the museum. If you stop by this location, you can also walk around the Waterfront Park.
By visiting these markers, you can become more aware of how high the water levels actually were in the past and use these resources below to prepare yourself and your community for future storms.
To see how Katrina will change with sea level rise along the northern Gulf Coast, check out http://www.GOMsurge.org.They modeled 10 historic storms to understand and show how hurricanes may impact our coastal region in the future.
If you are a homeowner, this next one is for you! The Gulf of America Alliance Coastal Community Resilience Team has just updated the Homeowners Handbook. This helps homeowners prepare for natural hazards to reduce risks to family and property.
As always, the Northern Gulf Sentinel Site Cooperative (NGOM SSC) has many resources for planning for sea-level rise. Check out our website: ngomssc.org.
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