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Article: Bayou La Batre recovers from Katrina.(ALABAMA)
- Article from:
- Partners in Community and Economic Development
- Article date:
- December 22, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 www.frbatlanta.org. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The flood waters have receded, the phone lines are working and all power has been restored: the city of Mobile, Ala., breathes a sigh of relief. Many realize how fortunate they are when they see the devastation only a few miles away. The small community of Bayou La Batre, just west of Mobile, was not so lucky.
With a population of about 3,500, the coastal city had emerged as a commercial seafood industry giant. According to the local Chamber of Commerce, its port accommodated over 300 major vessels that fished the Gulf waters from the Florida Keys to Mexico, reaping some of the best shrimp, oysters, crabs and finfish in the world. Bayou La Batre was commonly ...