Live on the Gulf Coast with storms and hurricanes

This topic comes up fairly often from people who have never lived along the Mississippi Gulf Coast or any Gulf Coast. Each time I am asked about this in general or with specific questions such as “How do you live on the Gulf Coast with storms and hurricanes?”, I go into an explanation of what I believe about living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast knowing that at certain times of the year a Hurricane or large storm may blow in. People have lived in this area for thousands of years starting with what we used to call American Indians who are now called Indigenous Peoples. The storms did not drive them away.

Believe it or not, there are homes on the beach that have been there for more than 100 years and are still standing. Many old live oak trees are many hundreds of years old and are still there. Not every storm or hurricane does great damage. Larger ones do some damage to homes that have old roofs or areas that should have been attended to before the storm. These days many if not most people have both flood and wind and hail insurance to cover their losses. Of course, money will not by itself save some valuable items in a home e.g. photos so losses can be very real and painful.

We know a lot now about big storms

We know a lot about big storms now including how to build homes to withstand high winds and flooding. Speaking for myself, I live in a house on a bayou (similar to a river connected to the bay and Gulf of Mexico). My house is built about 16′ above mean sea level and the water has to travel many miles from the initial landfall before it pushes water up the bayou to hit my property. I decided to buy a house built well after the latest storm to hit the area in a lifetime “Katrina”.

Because of government-mandated building specifications, my home was built at a good elevation, with a roof capable of sustained hurricane-force winds and many other parts of the house have been engineered to withstand floods and wind. Even with all of the precautions, something may one day flood my home or damage it. I have insurance for this and a plan to leave when government agencies inform the public that this is a category 3+ storm.

FEMA RISK MAPS

During my fairly short time as a property owner along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I have experienced three large hurricanes of up to category 3 on a 1-5 scale. A 3 is nothing to laugh at but we did. The weather services are good at keeping us updated and we were told that a category 2 hurricane would make landfall in my county. I pulled my boat out of my boathouse and parked it on my driveway. We put our hurricane plywood in the back windows, had plenty of water and food plus fuel for the generators. We were set.

At the last minute the category 2 became a category 3

At the last minute, the category 2 hurricane became a category 3 as it hit land, usually the opposite of what happens. Some areas experienced high winds, ours topped out at about 45 mph, not bad and no damage was caused in my neighborhood. The worst effect was downed trees which blocked some roads and cut off power in the more rural areas of the county. Flooding along the rivers was well expected by people who live there and most were prepared.

Hurricanes and large storms come in during the late summer and early fall. By late October and early November, they are gone because the water temperature is too cold in the Gulf. This gives us many months to repair anything that was damaged e.g. a roof.

My office roof lost too many shingles for a simple repair so I replaced the entire roof. The insurance settlement was satisfactory. By the way, that roof was more than 10 years old and went through many hurricanes.

I do not want to in any way diminish the terrible consequences of category 3 or 4 hurricanes that may strike where you live. We all make choices and you can make some good ones if you plan to live along the Mississippi Gulf Coast that can minimize potential damage to your home.

Here are my suggestions for buyers:

1. Buy a home in an X zone, the least likely to flood. These homes are on high ground.
2. Buy a home in an AE zone that has been built on high ground or built high on poles or pilings to meet new codes.
3. Buy one block back from the beach if you want to be close to the beach. Beach front homes can be built to withstand hurricanes but their insurance cost will be high. Some of these are in whats called a “velocity” zone, first contact with storm surges. Read more about flood and wind insurance at RetireCoast.com clicking this link
4. Any homes located away from rivers and bayous particularly north of I10 are relitavely safe from flooding as they will usually be in X zones. Wind is still an issue so be sure that the roof of the home you to buy is newer and in good condition.
5. Buy a home on a bayou or river that is built well above flood stage e.g 20′ or more. This will reduce the insurance cost.

You can also mitigate damage living in an AE home or near the beach by paying attention to the news. If it’s a big one, leave the area by driving away from the storm path. Some believe that these hurricanes only hit coastal communities, not true.

They can continue far inland, hundreds of miles wreaking havoc on homes that were not built to hurricane standards. If you live in a newer home, e.g. later than Katrina in 2005. New rules were adopted before 2010 and substantially improve a home’s ability to withstand a hurricane.

Storms are picky, the hit one and not the other

Ok, you come back after a storm. Your home is still standing as most usually are. Storms are picky, they hit one and leave one unscathed. Water entered your home up about 5″. You were fortunate to have a home built on a concrete slab so you rip out the flooring and cut the drywall up above the water damage and have it replaced with electrical outlets and wiring. Replace any furniture that was damaged. You are back in your home with new flooring, perhaps some new cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom plus new furniture.

The above is what most people experience when they are hit by a storm and are not in the direct path. Some have to replace a few shingles or cut down a tree that is broken. These are things people can deal with particularly when your insurance company and FEMA come to the rescue.

I have lived owned properties along the coast for more than six years at this writing. My residence has experienced no damage of any kind. My office as mentioned needed a new roof. A rental property required some shingles. Another rental property lost a pier (1900’s Craftsman-style home).

The piers on the porch were not fastened down so they blew into the yard. Our contractor replaced them, this time to stay, repainted some trim, and replaced a broken window (if the shutters had been fastened this would not have happened). That’s the extent of several hurricanes.

Once again, let me be clear, you could be that one person whose home gets hit hard and requires a complete rebuild. I have spoken to several people who were in that position after Katrina. The experience was bad but they like their new hurricane-proof homes with modern amenities. Others moved above I10 and bought homes or built homes leaving their vacant property behind. As it has happened for some, the new homes cost less than the insurance payout and they still retained the empty lots. Years later the lots were sold at high prices.

Not every home is impacted when a Hurricane hits the area

It’s important to understand not every home is impacted even when things are bad. There are three counties along the coast and a few storms hit all of the counties at the same level. Yours may escape damage as many do. Some streets are flooded for a short time and you may need to navigate around downed trees but it can be manageable even when a bad storm comes through.

Storms as I mentioned above come during a fairly well-defined season and they do not always impact the Mississippi Gulf Coast. They can impact Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida and do from my experience impact the other states more often than they do here. Yes, we get a rain band in some cases but rain is the least of the issues from a storm particularly when it hits another area.

As an aside, many homes are constructed of brick and concrete siding along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. There are also brick homes that have been built including the one shown below that a was sold recently along the beach in Biloxi. Photo courtesy of Carter & Co.

Another example of a home built to withstand hurricanes is one offered and sold by DR Horton along the beach in Biloxi. I walked through this and it is a terrific home. It’s built high to insure good insurance rates and everything put into the building was designed to withstand high winds and rain

Preparation is key

Preparation is key as well. I lived in California and they told us to prepare for earthquakes. I lived in Pennsylvania and they told us to prepare for freezing weather and tornadoes. It seems that there is always something that mother nature throws at us regardless of where we are. I think that our occasional hurricane weighs well against wildfires in CA burning your house down with little notice.

There are several media outlets that keep us informed when a storm is or may be headed our way, WLOX TV is one through their website as well as broadcast tv. Click here to visit their site

If you are prepared for the smaller storms with a generator and full fuel tanks on your vehicles along with food and water, you will probably do just fine. Our power has never gone out during a storm. My home is newer and we have underground utilities which help. You will know when hurricane season approaches. Keep your really valuable items ready to remove along with other belongings. Hurricanes provide notice, generally several days so you can prepare to stay or leave.

Move your vehicles to higher ground. Pack up the RV and take a short vacation away from the path of the storm. Have cameras on your home so you can see what is going on. Remain in contact with neighbors who decide to stay. If you decide to stay, contact your out-of-town/state relatives and let them know you are staying. Keep in touch during the worst of the storm which usually lasts hours not days.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is a beautiful place to live and the risks are low when you are prepared. Your neighbors can fill you in on shelters and other tips to protect your property and yourself. Do not let the thought of an occasional hurricane dissuade you from living the dream in this area.

If you are thinking of moving to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, contact us. We can give you access to our website to search the MLS and can discuss your concerns about insurance, flood zones or anything else including our great Mardi Gras season. Logan-Anderson, Gulf Coast Realtors

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