Hurricane Camille Memorial sees some changes after relocation

The Hurricane Camille Memorial has been moved to the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum after the land it was originally on was sold.

Old meets new here at the Hurricane Camille Memorial relocation. Locals will see that this memorial looks different than the last, and that’s unfortunately due to some parts of the old memorial not making it to their new home.”

“The name plates were able to be saved. All of the nameplates… I think there are 134 names listed of the deceased,” Executive Director of the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, Robin Krohn David said. “Those were able to be unattached from the concrete monument that was existing, and so we had to pour a different foundation. And we also have retrieved the bent flag pole.”

The original memorial had a mosaic of the storm with a water feature. It will not be a part of the new memorial.

“It’s kind of in disrepair right now,” David explained. “It was undetermined how it could be made a part since we were not going to incorporate the water feature.”

Showcasing that coastal resilience, they moved forward in creating a memorial that could withstand any storm with a fully concrete foundation and drainage.

At the end of the day, the museum’s main goal was to prevent this part of history from being erased.

“It’s a way of honoring the deceased during that Hurricane and also it’s a way of keeping their memory alive. I mean, it’s our history and heritage. This is our culture and that’s what the museum is all about.”

The grand opening of the memorial will be on Camille’s anniversary, August 17th.