Remembering Hurricane Camille and her three unknown victims

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Hurricane Camille’s wrath 53 years ago still resonates today in South Mississippi. The killer storm that took at least 150 lives in Mississippi was remembered with the annual ceremony for those three unknown victims: Faith, Hope and Charity.

“Their names are not known. All we have are the descriptions of them as they were found. But,God knows them,” said Matt Stratton, Harrison County Emergency Management director.

Camille roared ashore in South Mississippi Aug. 17, 1969 with 175mph winds.

“Hurricane Camille was a unique storm, unlike any other, and that monster damaged the community heavily,” Stratton added.

Past EMA director Rupert Lacy was on hand to remember these victims as well as to remember the terror that Camille brought.

“What really gets me is that it was a Sunday morning,” Lacy recalled. “We got up, we had breakfast, Shipley Doughnuts and chocolate milk. We went to church. Our church started their preparations. We as children got to collect the hymnals, and the church was going to be ok. When we got back down there several days later, all we had was a slab. Mother Nature really does show her vengeance sometimes.”

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