After Ivan
We drove along the beach highway in Gulf Shore, AL thinking to check out several campgrounds and forgetting that hurricane Ivan came ashore here. Devastation!! Every business, hotel and house along several miles of the highway are absolute wrecks. A park ranger at Gulf Shore State Park told us that an ocean surge of 8 feet did a lot of the damage that we saw. That took the water at least a mile inland. In addition, there is extensive tornado damage here and all along the highways back to our own campground, about 20 miles.
Funny thing, at the state park, which is really a mess, I noticed a road side sign...PLEASE DON'T FEED OR AGGRAVATE THE ALLIGATORS!! OK!!! I'm sure I won't do that. Kept me from getting out of the car to investigate the black water and the trees that look like a mixmaster came through them.
Incidentally, the campgrounds along the ocean are either closed totally or housing displaced people in FEMA motorhomes.