ForConstructionPros.com

When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the 75-mile-long Mississippi Gulf Coast in August 2005 with 140-plus mph winds and up to a 30-foot storm surge, there was no place to hide. It destroyed or damaged a significant stretch of U.S. 90 through Biloxi, Gulfport and Pass Christian. This created an immediate need for local road builders, hot mix asphalt producers and asphalt paving contractors.

The storm's sheer physical size caused devastation far from the eye of the storm, making it possibly the largest, most widespread, hurricane of its strength ever recorded. Actual infrastructure damages in Mississippi have been reliably estimated to be in excess of $80-plus billion, making it the most costly tropical cyclone of all time.

It was here that the state's road builders and hot mix asphalt contractors unhesitatingly stepped up to the plate and did themselves and the construction industry proud. Make no mistake; the contractors did get compensated for what they did.

But many, like Warren Paving, Inc., a multifaceted material producer-contractor from Gulfport, without delay, put major ongoing projects on hold with no guarantees that the state would delete that time from their current contracts. In Warren Paving's case that was, among others, a new nine-mile-long section of Rte. 605 from Gulfport north to Hattiesburg.

Up and running

The priority was to get their 400-tph Astec Double Barrel asphalt facility back up and producing much needed material to help restore the devastated infrastructure. Warren's plant, which suffered only superficial storm damage, was ready but, since there was no electricity in the area, they had to secure a portable generator as an alternative power source. For two days, until local electricity was brought back on line, this worked well.