“Today is a reminder that Mississippi’s story is about victory,” Governor Reeves said.

On a rainy Friday morning in Gulfport, local, state and federal officials gathered under the Barksdale Pavilion in Jones Park to remember the devastation a hurricane named Katrina wrought on the Mississippi Gulf Coast two decades ago.

Bringing 28 feet of storm surge that later resulted in the term “slabbed” being coined across the Coast, the Katrina left nothing much behind other than the resilience of the state’s residents.

That day, Mississippians demonstrated that they rely on neighborly connections, and a strong will to rebuild after the storm’s waters receded. Some 238 Mississippians lost their lives and tens of thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed. The damage across the state led to a

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