Waveland, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Waveland, Mississippi
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| Motto(s):
"America's Small Beach Town"
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Location of Waveland, Mississippi
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 Waveland, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Hancock |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.63 sq mi (22.36 km2) |
| • Land | 8.49 sq mi (21.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.14 sq mi (0.37 km2) |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 6,435 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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6,302 |
| • Density | 742.29/sq mi (286.60/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
39576
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| Area code(s) | 228 |
| FIPS code | 28-78200 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0679394 |
Waveland is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city of Waveland was incorporated in 1972. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,435. Waveland was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969, and by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005.
The current mayor of Waveland is Mike Smith.
Contents
History
Andrew Jackson once lived and owned land in Waveland on what is now known as Jackson Ridge. Much of Jackson Ridge later became Buccaneer State Park.
The Silver Slipper Casino opened on November 9, 2006.
Hurricane Camille
On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille made landfall at the tip of Louisiana before continuing on shore at Waveland. The storm heavily damaged the areas south of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Recovery efforts went on for nearly a decade. The town later erected a plaque commemorating the efforts of the volunteers who committed time and resources towards rebuilding.
Hurricane Katrina
The city of Waveland, Mississippi was "ground zero" of Hurricane Katrina's landfall on August 29, 2005. The city received massive damage and is still in the process of recovering and rebuilding. South of the CSXT mainline, the area was almost completely destroyed. The rest of the city took heavy flooding. In a news report, state officials said Waveland took a harder hit from the wind and water than any other town along the Gulf Coast, and that the town was obliterated. Thirty-six years earlier, in 1969, Waveland had been severely damaged by Hurricane Camille.
Official reports stated that approximately 50 people died when Waveland was hit directly by the eyewall of Katrina and the 26-foot (7.9 m) storm surge. Hurricane Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 8:01AM, +2.2 feet more.
Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries, gutting the Waveland Public Library, as a total loss, requiring a complete rebuild.
Recovery
A group of social activists seeking to better the lives of local residents, called the "Rainbow Family", arrived in Waveland soon after Hurricane Katrina. From early September to early December 2005, they ran the "New Waveland Cafe & Clinic" located in the parking lot of Fred's Dept Store on Highway 90. The café provided free hot meals three times a day. The clinic was staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses from throughout the United States who saw over 5000 patients during the duration, free of charge and dispensing free medications. Donations of medications and supplies came from a multitude of sources, with International Aid arranging the most donations. This was the first experience of the counter-culture Rainbow Family in running a disaster relief center. The Bastrop Christian Outreach Center also volunteered with the Rainbow Family.
Waveland Elementary School, which has served public school students in Grades K-3 (Grades 4-5 attend Second Street Elementary in nearby Bay St. Louis), was heavily damaged by Katrina. The students attending the school have been educated in portable classrooms, for the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, pending a permanent solution.
The recovery of Waveland was due in part to the faith-based disaster recovery effort in and around the Waveland area. Shoreline Park Baptist Church in Waveland and Pastor Ed Murphy were vital to this effort, housing and feeding hundreds of missionaries from around the country for many years following Hurricane Katrina in what were referred to as "Pods for God". Shoreline Park Baptist Church directed the repair and, in some instances, the rebuilding of homes in the area for many years after the devastation. Murphy retired from Shoreline Park Baptist Church in 2014 and died in Rock Hill South Carolina on April 27, 2015.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 328 | — | |
| 1900 | 520 | 58.5% | |
| 1910 | 554 | 6.5% | |
| 1920 | 431 | −22.2% | |
| 1930 | 663 | 53.8% | |
| 1940 | 768 | 15.8% | |
| 1950 | 793 | 3.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,106 | 39.5% | |
| 1970 | 3,108 | 181.0% | |
| 1980 | 4,186 | 34.7% | |
| 1990 | 5,369 | 28.3% | |
| 2000 | 6,674 | 24.3% | |
| 2010 | 6,435 | −3.6% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 6,302 | −2.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 5,314 | 73.7% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,100 | 15.26% |
| Native American | 35 | 0.49% |
| Asian | 64 | 0.89% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 362 | 5.02% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 331 | 4.59% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,210 people, 2,642 households, and 1,683 families residing in the city.
Education
Most of Waveland is served by the Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District. Some portions are within the Hancock County School District.
All of Hancock County is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.
Notable people
- Johnny Dodds, jazz clarinetist
- Michael Grimm, singer; winner of season 5 of America's Got Talent
- Arthur Putnam, sculptor
- Bob Thorpe, former Major League Baseball right fielder
See also
In Spanish: Waveland (Misisipi) para niños
