<p>I took this photograph of  the Spinnaker Point condos in Pascagoula MS that were destroyed by surge.  The partially-remaining damaged condo that remains was one of 40, with the remainder washed away, as seen on page 8 in the MS Press, in a photo taken the day after the hurricane made landfall:  <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.gulflive.com/mississippipress/pdf/083105.pdf">http://www.gulflive.com/mississippipress/pdf/083105.pdf</a>
</p><p>Notice the two deck railing planters, with the plants still in them, remain on the deck of the 2nd floor (three stories above ground level).  
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Surge (storm tide, technically) here in eastern Pascagoula reached 16-18 feet, and there would have been waves on top of the surge at a location on the waterfront such as this one.  The sheetrock has been pulled away from the studs about four feet up on the 1st floor; this likely tallies with the height of the surge.
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MKieper