Cable One, which provides cable TV service to more than 100,000 households in south Mississippi, is taking a City of Biloxi hurricane-education project and making it available to all of its local cable subscribers.
For the past several years, the cable company has aired a Hurricane Camille documentary for Biloxi cable subscribers as part of the city’s FEMA-mandated efforts to educate property owners about the dangers of storms and flooding.
This year, on the 35th anniversary of the storm striking the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Cable One also is opening the cablecast to all of its subscribers throughout Harrison and Jackson counties.
The 30-minute documentary, which features actual footage from the aftermath of the Category 5 storm, will air Aug. 17, the anniversary of Camille, at 10 a.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Cable 13, known as Coast TV, on all local Cable One systems.
“This is an outstanding gesture by Cable One,” said Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway, who annually introduces the Camille documentary in a brief segment. “Raising public awareness about protecting property from storms and flooding is certainly not an issue exclusive to Biloxi, and we’re delighted that Cable One is making this program available to our neighboring communities.”
Camille, with winds in excess of 210 mph and a 24-foot storm surge topped by 10-foot seas, swept across the Coast on the night of Aug. 17, 1969. The storm, which at the time was the most severe to strike the U.S., caused billions of dollars in damage, and claimed more than 250 lives, including 131 in Mississippi alone, where another 43 were reported as missing. A nationwide relief effort, which included scores of military and civilian volunteers and businesses, helped Biloxi and surrounding communities in the aftermath of the storm. President Richard M. Nixon visited the Coast in the days after the storm.
“A Lady Called Camille,” which was created by the National Office of Civil Defense shortly after the hurricane, shows preparation and recovery efforts that were organized largely by the legendary Wade Guice, former Harrison County Civil Defense Director whose wife, Julia, served as Biloxi Civil Defense Director at the time. The duo is seen at their posts at the outset of the film.
Copies of “A Lady Called Camille” are available for $19.95 each from the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi, which is also home to the Wade Guice Hurricane Museum. Details on purchasing the video: dkirklandross@yahoo.com or (228) 435-6320.
