Dauphin Island Times

Recently a reader wrote us asking about the status of rebuilding in the West end of Dauphin Island. Short answer: Infrastructure is coming on line, roads are being cleared and rebuilt, and many repairs are underway, or even complete. As for those whose vacation condos, vacation rental homes, or beach front homes are gone, in many cases not much has happened yet. in physical terms.

For a longer answer

As you cross the bridge on to Dauphin Island things look fairly normal. Debris has been removed, rebuilding is in progress, landscaping is being replaced. As you go west past the condos - the Dauphin Island Beach Club and the Inn at Dauphin Island - evidence of storm damage grows with each passing mile.

The near West End looks good. Here the damage, while widespread, was mostly superficial. Siding repairs are underway or complete. Roofs are fixed. Power and other utilities are functioning normally.

The further west you travel, however, the greater the structural damage. As you come to the area where fully a third of the vacation condos/homes were structurally damaged and another third swept away you see in many cases little progress has been made.

Every owner's story is probably different, but all have one or more realities to deal with when it comes to rebuilding:

• A look at the graphic showing how the storm surge moved Dauphin Island from south to north shows that some property owners are faced with determining exactly where their property actually is. Some properties are wholly or partially under the Gulf of Mexico.
• Along with the island itself the storm tore out all available infrastructure - roads and utilities. Without these basics rebuilding can't get very far.
• How to pay for rebuilding. Without insurance settlements in hand many owners do not have the means to begin rebuilding. Some may have lost, or will lose, their resolve and sell. Some may simply wait and see what options open up to them.
• To date FEMA has not yet set new building standards for rebuilding in hurricane- and flood-prone areas. These guidlines will need to be followed by any vacation condo or home owner who rebuilds in order to be eligible for flood insurance.