Katrina 3-Year Coverage: Mississippi's coast sees uneven development

The Mississippi Sun Herald reports that Mississippi's coastal cities are showing varied levels of recovery. According to the Sun Herald:

In quaint downtown Ocean Springs, for instance, it's hard to tell from the thriving shops and tree-lined streets that there even was a hurricane. In Biloxi, rebuilding has resumed quickly along the beach, where glitzy casinos and new high-rise condominiums have sprouted in profusion.

But generally, the farther west one drives along the Coast, the worse conditions tend to be. In Hancock County, Ground Zero for the tragic storm, Waveland officials are still rebuilding a water and sewer system, and city government continues to function from a small fleet of trailers in a gravel parking lot.

In Bay St. Louis, the once-picturesque Old Town area struggles to hold up its battered head. A $90 million infrastructure overhaul has streets muddied and destroyed. Beach Boulevard remains rough and unpaved, with an arduous reconstruction expected to start in October. Both cities have issued thousands of residential building permits between them since the storm, but officials acknowledge there is still a long, long way to go.

The Sun Herald gathered statistical data and interviewed mayors and city officials in each of the 11 cities in Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties. Their further findings can be found here in this report, Where We Stand, City by City.