Page 53 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2017

The Seabees helped tremendously after Hurricane Katrina including feeding dolphins that were brought to Naval Construction Batallion Center, after their home, Marine Life Oceanarium, was destroyed.
mmediately following the most devastating storm the country has ever experienced that left destruction across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Seabees assigned to the
Naval Construction Battalion Center sprang into action clearing roads, repairing damaged structures and organizing supplies. Although
more than 700 Seabees lost their homes and 1,300 more had extensive damage, it didn’t stop them from becoming a bright beacon of light that the community would remember for years to come. To answer the
call of pleas for help from the
Coast community, more than 2,200 Seabees mobilized with 675 pieces of equipment roughly one week after the winds died down and the surge waters receded.
According to the commander
of the TWENTY SECOND Naval Construction Regiment (22 NCR)
at that time, Capt. Eric Odderstol, “Seabees are known for their ability
to rapidly mobilize and deploy
using their skills anywhere in the world. It takes 48 hours to mobilize a 100-person detachment and six days for a full 650-person battalion.
“If the work is being done by a Seabee, it’s usually because the operating environment is too dangerous for contractors or because the nature of the emergency dictates that the work be done immediately.”
Although now the Coast has mostly recovered, the reconstruction era after Hurricane Katrina was a long row to hoe from the start.
“Day one was pretty difficult,” Odderstol said. “It was as bad
as it gets; nothing worked. All communications were cut off and tactical radios were the only way to communicate efficiently.”
Safety was an immediate concern and public health issues were foremost in the Seabee mission. “Getting sewage back online was a concern of the entire Gulf Coast. We repaired more than 100 lift stations
that were flooded out,” Odderstol said.
Seabees also managed to repair
or replace 200 water mains to
get the city’s water supply back online. Supplies were running out everywhere and the Seabees were there to assist. After the swarm of chainsaw-wielding Seabees cleared the major roads, they took to the task of resupplying the community.
The Seabees provided water for victims and fuel for emergency vehicles. Odderstol said the Seabees hauled water and gas around the clock for many days.
The Seabees also spent the weeks in the aftermath of Katrina cleaning and repairing schools and helping their neighbors repair roofs and clean up the mess.
The Seabees continue to train
and deploy from NCBC and can be heard reciting their motto, “With compassion for others, We Build, We Fight, for peace with freedom.”
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
July 2017 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 53