Waveland

It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city of Waveland was incorporated in 1972. Nearly destroyed by Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969, and by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005.

• Official Name — Waveland, Mississippi • Settlement Type — City • Motto — "America's Small Beach Town" • Image Skyline — Waveland, Mississippi.jpg • Image Flag — Flag of Waveland, Mississippi.png • Image Seal — Seal of Waveland, Mississippi.png • Image Blank Emblem — Logo of Waveland, Mississippi.png • Blank Emblem Type — Logo • Image Map — Hancock_County_Mississippi_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Waveland_Highlighted.svg • Mapsize — 250px • Map Caption — Location of Waveland, Mississippi • Pushpin Map — USA • Pushpin Map Caption — Location in the United States • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — United States • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — Mississippi • Subdivision Type2 — County • Subdivision Name2 — Hancock • Established Date — 1972 • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Jay Trapani (R) • Unit Pref — Imperial • Area Total Km2 — 22.36 • Area Land Km2 — 21.99 • Area Water Km2 — 0.37 • Area Total Sq Mi — 8.63 • Area Land Sq Mi — 8.49 • Area Water Sq Mi — 0.14 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 7210 • Population Density Km2 — 327.90 • Population Density Sq Mi — 849.23 • Timezone — Central (CST) • Utc Offset — −6 • Timezone Dst — CDT • Utc Offset Dst — −5 • Elevation Ft — 20 • Postal Code Type — ZIP code • Postal Code — 39576 • Area Code — 228 • Blank Name — FIPS code • Blank Info — 28-78200 • Blank1 Name — GNIS feature ID • Blank1 Info — 2405691 • Website — waveland.ms.gov • Illustration — Waveland (left) is west of Bay St. Louis, on the Gulf of Mexico. Waveland is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city of Waveland was incorporated in 1972. As of the 2020 census, Waveland had a population of 7,210. Waveland was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969, and by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005.

Andrew Jackson once lived and owned land in Waveland on what is now known as Jackson Ridge. Much of Jackson Ridge later became Buccaneer State Park. The Silver Slipper Casino opened on November 9, 2006.

On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille made landfall at the tip of Louisiana before continuing on shore at Waveland. The storm heavily damaged the areas south of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Recovery efforts went on for nearly a decade. The town later erected a plaque commemorating the efforts of the volunteers who committed time and resources towards rebuilding.

• Illustration — Destroyed mobile home in Waveland after Hurricane Katrina • Illustration — Waveland during Hurricane Katrina, August 29, 2005 The city of Waveland was "ground zero" of Hurricane Katrina's landfall on August 29, 2005. The city received massive damage and is still in the process of recovering and rebuilding. South of the CSXT mainline, the area was almost completely destroyed. The rest of the city took heavy flooding. In a news report, state officials said Waveland took a harder hit from the wind and water than any other town along the Gulf Coast, and that the town was obliterated. Official reports stated that approximately 50 people died when Waveland was hit directly by the eyewall of Katrina and the 26 ft storm surge. Hurricane Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 8:01am, +2.2 feet more. Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries, gutting the Waveland Public Library, as a total loss, requiring a complete rebuild. The Ground Zero Hurricane Museum was opened in 2013 in what was the Waveland Civic and Cultural Center. Following Hurricane Katrina, the center was the only public building left standing in the city.

A group of social activists seeking to better the lives of local residents, called the "Rainbow Family", arrived in Waveland soon after Hurricane Katrina. From early September to early December 2005, they ran the "New Waveland Cafe & Clinic" in the parking lot of Fred's Dept Store on Highway 90. The café provided free hot meals three times a day. The clinic was staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses from throughout the United States who saw over 5,000 patients during the duration, free of charge and dispensing free medications. Donations of medications and supplies came from a multitude of sources, with International Aid arranging the most donations. Waveland Elementary School, which has served public school students in Grades K-3 (Grades 4-5 attend Second Street Elementary in nearby Bay St. Louis), was heavily damaged by Katrina. The students attending the school were educated in portable classrooms for the beginning of the 2006–2007 school year, pending a permanent solution. The recovery of Waveland was due in part to the faith-based disaster recovery effort in and around the Waveland area. Shoreline Park Baptist Church in Waveland and Pastor Ed Murphy were vital to this effort, housing and feeding hundreds of missionaries from around the country for many years following Hurricane Katrina in what were referred to as "Pods for God". Shoreline Park Baptist Church directed the repair and, in some instances, the rebuilding of homes in the area for many years after the devastation. After the storm, the similarly named town of Wayland, Massachusetts saw the town was neglected compared to the New Orleans area which received more media coverage, and decided to adopt the town of Waveland. They started an organization called Wayland to Waveland which sent a tractor trailer full of essential supplies, rebuilt homes, and restored local parks. Even though Hurricane Katrina was many years ago, the two towns still share a bond.

Waveland is in southeastern Hancock County along the shore of Mississippi Sound, an embayment of the Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered to the north and northeast by the city of Bay St. Louis. U.S. Route 90 passes through the northern side of the city, leading east across the Bay of Saint Louis 18 mi to Gulfport and west 55 mi to New Orleans. Beach Boulevard (Mississippi Highway 606) passes along the shoreline, connecting Waveland with Buccaneer State Park and the communities of Lakeshore and Clermont Harbor. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Waveland has a total area of 22.4 sqkm, of which 22.0 sqkm are land and 0.4 sqkm, or 1.66%, are water.

As of the 2020 census, there were 7,210 people, 3,034 households, and 1,683 families residing in the city. The median age was 40.4 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.1 males age 18 and over. 99.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.9% lived in rural areas. 29.9% of households had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.7% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 3,668 housing units, of which 17.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 15.6%. Waveland racial composition as of 2020 • Race — Num. — Perc. • White (non-Hispanic) — 5,314 — 73.7% • Black or African American (non-Hispanic) — 1,100 — 15.26% • Native American — 35 — 0.49% • Asian — 64 — 0.89% • Pacific Islander — 4 — 0.06% • Other/Mixed — 362 — 5.02% • Hispanic or Latino — 331 — 4.59%

Most of Waveland is served by the Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District. Some portions are within the Hancock County School District. All of Hancock County is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.

• Johnny Dodds, jazz clarinetist • Michael Grimm, singer; winner of season 5 of America's Got Talent • Arthur Putnam, sculptor • Bob Thorpe, former Major League Baseball right fielder