Katrina's wrath  Storm surges 20 feet and above took out the first floor of even well-built structures and completely wiped out others. Most of the neighborhood was destroyed by wind and waves.

the big dig While the framework of our eight buildings remained standing, they were deemed structurally unsound and/or poisoned by mold. The first floors were flooded to the ceiling and above. We were incredibly lucky to have scores of volunteers bring in the big rigs to knock down
unsafe structures and clear away mountains of rubble, including what was left of the three playgrounds. 

major clean-up   Volunteers did everything from power scrubbing to heavy demolition, and all with great cheer and good will. We are more grateful than we can say to all those who trekked to Biloxi from across the country, slept in tents, and rolled up their sleeves to accomplish the impossible. With their help, we've cleared the site and are focusing on fundraising and rebuilding . THANK YOU ONE & ALL!!

"we were honored to be of help... " a week in my life I will cherish, enjoyed every minute," wrote Dan Molloy of Service International, one of the amazing groups who volunteered man/womanpower, equipment, know-how ,and can-do spirit and caring for the victims of Katrina. Dan also submitted the pictures of "our mascot" below and above on tractor.

our mascot   This ridiculous (and truly enormous ) gorilla was one of the few items salvaged in the clean up. Our volunteers quickly adopted the ape as a mascot. It showed up daily in the oddest places! We can't imagine why it didn't disappear in the floods along with all our furniture, toys, and playground equipment.

looking better    Epworth Church was the only of Moore's eight buildings that did not have to be completely demolished. Here it is shown after being gutted down to the studs. Even then, it needed structural repairs and treatment for mold. We have completed renovations -- see our rebuilding page for images of the completed new buildings.