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Hurricane Katrina devastated large parts of Louisiana and Mississippi more than two years ago. One of the costliest and deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history, total losses have been estimated to exceed $100 billion with more than $34 billion in insured losses. The rebuilding has been slow, but many nonprofit organizations and volunteers from around the world have helped. Paul Hendershot, founder of Ojai, Calif-based Paul Hendershot Design, is one such volunteer. Hendershot is working with Architecture for Humanity, a 501©(3) charitable organization that has partnered with Oprah?EUR??,,????'???s Angel Network and the Biloxi Relief Recovery and Revitalization Center to help Biloxi, Miss. families rebuild their homes through its all-volunteer Model Home Program. Hendershot is donating his company?EUR??,,????'???s landscaping services to many of the families who lost their homes during the hurricane. ?EUR??,,????'??We talked about incorporating sitting areas, shade, fruit trees, flowers, vegetables ?EUR??,,????'??+ each family had their own landscape personality,?EUR??,,????'?? Hendershot said of a meeting held with Biloxi families. ?EUR??,,????'??One of the most important things we worked on was picking shade trees that could withstand big winds and not fall on the house. We noticed that the oaks, pecans and magnolias were the trees that best survived the hurricane. ?EUR??,,????'??
Hurricane Katrina devastated large parts of Louisiana and Mississippi more than two years ago. One of the costliest and deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history, total losses have been estimated to exceed $100 billion with more than $34 billion in insured losses.
The rebuilding has been slow, but many nonprofit organizations and volunteers from around the world have helped. Paul Hendershot, founder of Ojai, Calif-based Paul Hendershot Design, is one such volunteer.
Hendershot is working with Architecture for Humanity, a 501©(3) charitable organization that has partnered with Oprah?EUR??,,????'???s Angel Network and the Biloxi Relief Recovery and Revitalization Center to help Biloxi, Miss. families rebuild their homes through its all-volunteer Model Home Program. Hendershot is donating his company?EUR??,,????'???s landscaping services to many of the families who lost their homes during the hurricane.
?EUR??,,????'??We talked about incorporating sitting areas, shade, fruit trees, flowers, vegetables ?EUR??,,????'??+ each family had their own landscape personality,?EUR??,,????'?? Hendershot said of a meeting held with Biloxi families. ?EUR??,,????'??One of the most important things we worked on was picking shade trees that could withstand big winds and not fall on the house. We noticed that the oaks, pecans and magnolias were the trees that best survived the hurricane. ?EUR??,,????'??
Biloxi regularly reaches the high and humid 90s during the summer months so, in addition to shade trees, covered patios were an important design element. Since the new homes are being built on stilts to protect them from future flooding, Hendershot is turning these pre-existing covered areas into functional cool reprieves from the heat. Hendershot also worked to create a yard that was inexpensive and easy to maintain by using many of his signature materials such as pea gravel for natural patios. The keys to the first home built as a result of the Model Home Program were handed to the Parker family of Biloxi on June 20. The Parker family is a single-parent household with six children whose home was destroyed by the hurricane. They lived in a FEMA trailer for more than one year, and their new home sits on the same property that Katrina ravaged in 2005. ?EUR??,,????'??Meeting with the families was the most rewarding part for me,?EUR??,,????'?? said Hendershot. ?EUR??,,????'??Sadly, even before the hurricane destroyed their homes, many of these families were already contending with difficult life situations such as serious illness or a death in the family. Being able to meet with them one-on-one and design a yard that they can enjoy for years to come was an amazing experience.?EUR??,,????'?? Thanks to the efforts of volunteer programs such as Architecture for Humanity, Biloxi is growing. According to A.J. Holloway, Biloxi?EUR??,,????'???s mayor, the city will soon pass the billion-dollar mark in post-Katrina construction permits. The city issued more than $977 million in construction permits in the 26 months after Hurricane Katrina, with more than half of those permits issued for non-casino and non-condo construction. ?EUR??,,????'??The number is expected to continue to increase, and increase dramatically,?EUR??,,????'?? Holloway said. Biloxi?EUR??,,????'???s Community Development Department has issued nearly 20,000 permits of one type or another since Katrina. Of the $977 million value in permits, more than $532 million is non-casino and non-condo construction. Holloway noted, however, that only $49.7 million in permits have been issued for new homes, which translates into 331 new homes permitted since Katrina. ?EUR??,,????'??Keep in mind we lost 6,000 homes and businesses since the storm, so we have a ways to go,?EUR??,,????'?? he said, ?EUR??,,????'??But we?EUR??,,????'???re getting there.?EUR??,,????'??
Biloxi regularly reaches the high and humid 90s during the summer months so, in addition to shade trees, covered patios were an important design element. Since the new homes are being built on stilts to protect them from future flooding, Hendershot is turning these pre-existing covered areas into functional cool reprieves from the heat. Hendershot also worked to create a yard that was inexpensive and easy to maintain by using many of his signature materials such as pea gravel for natural patios.
The keys to the first home built as a result of the Model Home Program were handed to the Parker family of Biloxi on June 20. The Parker family is a single-parent household with six children whose home was destroyed by the hurricane. They lived in a FEMA trailer for more than one year, and their new home sits on the same property that Katrina ravaged in 2005.
?EUR??,,????'??Meeting with the families was the most rewarding part for me,?EUR??,,????'?? said Hendershot. ?EUR??,,????'??Sadly, even before the hurricane destroyed their homes, many of these families were already contending with difficult life situations such as serious illness or a death in the family. Being able to meet with them one-on-one and design a yard that they can enjoy for years to come was an amazing experience.?EUR??,,????'??
Thanks to the efforts of volunteer programs such as Architecture for Humanity, Biloxi is growing. According to A.J. Holloway, Biloxi?EUR??,,????'???s mayor, the city will soon pass the billion-dollar mark in post-Katrina construction permits.
The city issued more than $977 million in construction permits in the 26 months after Hurricane Katrina, with more than half of those permits issued for non-casino and non-condo construction.
?EUR??,,????'??The number is expected to continue to increase, and increase dramatically,?EUR??,,????'?? Holloway said.
Biloxi?EUR??,,????'???s Community Development Department has issued nearly 20,000 permits of one type or another since Katrina. Of the $977 million value in permits, more than $532 million is non-casino and non-condo construction.
Holloway noted, however, that only $49.7 million in permits have been issued for new homes, which translates into 331 new homes permitted since Katrina.
?EUR??,,????'??Keep in mind we lost 6,000 homes and businesses since the storm, so we have a ways to go,?EUR??,,????'?? he said, ?EUR??,,????'??But we?EUR??,,????'???re getting there.?EUR??,,????'??
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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