ARLINGTON, Va. - In August 1969, a ferocious hurricane, surpassing all other Atlantic basin storms observed in recent decades, approached the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Registering the second-lowest barometric pressure in a tropical storm up to that point in recorded U.S. weather history, Hurricane Camille reached a Category 5 reading on the Saffir-Simpson scale on August 17 when it officially reached the Mississippi coast between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian.
Storm waves measured up to 70 feet high. With wind damage and subsequent flooding, Camille struck the coasts of Mississippi and southeast Louisiana with devastating force.
This necessitated a large-scale response by the National Guard. In Mississippi, Gov.John B. Williams activated 3,200 Army and Air National Guard members. Louisiana sustained flooding, levee damage and afew injuries. To aid the large movement of affected coastline, the 172nd Air Transport Squadron (now the 172nd Airlift Wing) led several other Air Guard assets that traveled to the Gulf from 17 other states. In all, over 2,000 refugees and 250 litter patients were evacuated from the affected flood areas on the Mississippi coast.
Thatsuccessful collective effort would foreshadow a larger similar effort with Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The hurricane slowed in speed as it moved northward, taking a gradual turn northeasterly into Virginia on August 19. Here the storm recollected its fury with cold air and inundated the mountainous regions of the Blue Ridge with a deluge of water. Key among units from the Virginia Army National Guard that assisted was Company A, 28th Aviation Battalion, now known as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 244th Aviation (HHC, 2-244 AVN). The battalion utilized its helicopters to reach areas marooned via hundreds of bridge washouts and landslides, saving scores of lives in the process. The Richmond area and nearby Nelson County endured rainfall amounts that the National Weather Service characterized as the "probable maximum rainfall which meteorologists compute to be theoretically possible."
In all three states most affected by Camille, large-scale mobilized efforts helped save lives and mitigate the degree of suffering already present from the widespread damage to infrastructure and highways across the area. In the end, 143 people died in Mississippi, with damages accumulating at more than$1 billion on the Gulf Coast. Virginia suffered greatly as well, with 113 deaths.
Lessons learned made inland storm planning improve. Extratropical storms often become separate larger weather events not classified as hurricanes; however, state emergency operations centers focused on watching projections and mobilized resources to respond properly. With greater technological capabilities and personnel trained in disaster management today, the National Guard stands ready in storm-prone states to serve its citizens, providing assurance to the greater population during the height of hurricane season.