Gulfport, Mississippi

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Gulfport
Harrison County Mississippi Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Gulfport Highlighted.svg
Location in Mississippi
Basic data
Foundation : 1841
State : United States
State : Mississippi
County : Harrison County
Coordinates : 30 ° 24 ′  N , 89 ° 5 ′  W Coordinates: 30 ° 24 ′  N , 89 ° 5 ′  W
Time zone : Central ( UTC − 6 / −5 )
Inhabitants :
-  Metropolitan Area :		 72,076 (as of 2016)
391,266 (as of 2016)
Population density : 489 inhabitants per km 2
Area : 166.4 km 2  (approx. 64 mi 2 ) of
which 147.4 km 2  (approx. 57 mi 2 ) are land
Height : 6 m
Area code : +1 228
FIPS : 28-29700
GNIS ID : 0670771
Website : www.ci.gulfport.ms.us
Mayor : Billy Hewes
Mississippi-Coast-towns-NOAA.jpg
Location on the Gulf of Mexico

Gulfport is a city in Harrison County , Mississippi , with a population of 67,793 (according to the 2010 census). Gulfport has a size of 166 km², 147 km² of land and 19 km² of water. The 29,559 buildings in the city were largely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005 , numerous residents died and around 15,000 jobs were lost. Reconstruction of the city and a casino began in 2006. The population was estimated at 64,316 in 2006; this corresponds to a decrease of 9.6% compared to the year 2000. This assessment of the population decline turned out to be correct in the 2010 census. Gulfport is also the county seat of Harrison County.

In 2016, the population was estimated at 72,000, making Gulfport the second largest city in Mississippi. In the same year, the metropolitan region has around 391,000 inhabitants.

history

William H. Hardy , engineer and railroad builder, founded the city of Gulfport (= Gulf Port) in 1887 as a port city on the Gulf of Mexico and as the end point of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad planned by him .

Joseph T. Jones then completed the railway line and the city.

In 1907 the port started operations, which has become an important trading port.

On August 17, 1969 , Gulfport was badly damaged by Hurricane Camille .

Airport

Gulfport is home to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport , which also serves the city of Biloxi .

Gulfport and Tourism through 2005

Tourism provides the main jobs alongside the city's industrial establishments. Tourist attractions are the fine sandy beaches on the Gulf of Mexico , the Marine Life Oceanarium water park with trained dolphins and sea ​​lions , aquariums and birds, the marina with excursions to Ship Island with Fort Massachusetts and the casinos. The Mississippi Deep-Sea Fishing Rodeo , a multi-day competition in various disciplines of sport fishing (late June or early July), is of international importance .

Hurricane Katrina

Destroyed by Hurricane Camille on August 17th, 1969 in Gulfport
Destruction from Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005 in Gulfport

The Hurricane Katrina had on August 29, 2005 h wind speed of 217 km / and caused up to 6.70 meter high tidal wave that flooded the Gulfport and largely destroyed. The single-family houses were torn to pieces, the apartment blocks uninhabitable.

The city had previously been evacuated. Many residents who did not leave the city drowned in their own homes by the tidal wave or were carried away by the tidal wave with the ruins of their house.

All jobs were lost because of the destruction of all the casinos, hotels and motels and industrial operations in the city. The casinos in Gulfport alone previously provided residents with 14,000 jobs.

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

Commons : Gulfport, Mississippi  - Collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mississippi (USA): State & Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather, and Web Information. Retrieved February 6, 2018 .