Katrina Homeowners Find History Hiding Behind The Damage
Release Date: March 15, 2006
Release Number: 1604-286
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BILOXI, Miss. -- In 2001, Ben and Mary Wimberly took a year-long class called Preservation 101 given by the City of Biloxi. They learned about the different architectural styles of buildings and homes throughout Biloxi neighborhoods and the efforts to preserve them. But it took Hurricane Katrina’s fury to uncover architectural details hidden in the walls of the 1925 bungalow on Bohn Street that Mary has lived in for 38 years.
With the money they received from insurance, FEMA disaster assistance and a recently signed U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan they are rebuilding their quaint home. “When we finished registering for assistance with FEMA, the young woman we spoke with was very deliberate in telling us that we should apply for an SBA loan. I could tell she really wanted us to hear her. So we applied. We knew with a little patience, things would work out. We’re very happy with the process.”
Working from the travel trailer FEMA provided, Mary has been studying the style and decoration of local homes of the same era. Several homes in her neighborhood were built during the 1920s by the same family who built hers. She plans to restore their home to highlight original design features while removing remnants of later remodeling. During the 1940s when Keesler Air Force Base’s opening made housing a premium, the bungalow was turned into three small apartments.
In one of the house’s original rooms they found a brick chimney. It belonged to a wood-burning cook stove in a long-ago kitchen. Removal of sheet rock in another room exposed beaded board walls which the Wimberly’s plan to clean and reuse. One of two carved doors at the back of the house will be moved to replace a damaged front door, and lovely four-over-one windows will move to replace a more modern one on the front of the house.
The rebuilding will take place in the midst of their very busy lives. Ben is the deacon of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral and Mary has just taken a position with Catholic Community Charities helping with the recovery effort.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 15-Mar-2006 13:04:40