Post-Katrina building boom casts a shadow over south Mississippi farmland

Another potential victim of Hurricane Katrina may be farmland in south Mississippi. Small towns in that part of the state have seen a surge of new residents as people displaced by the hurricane look for homes away from the coast but still within commuting distance of where they work.

Towns like Poplarville and Picayune have seen dramatic growth since last fall. According to various estimates, Picayune’s population – just under 11,000 before Katrina – has swelled to something between 30,000 and 40,000. Even areas as far north as Hattiesburg are absorbing new residents. That has driven up prices for existing homes and prompted new development.

“Real estate prices have gone up 40% to 60% in these areas,” says Mike Howell, a Mississippi Extension Area Agronomist based in Collins. “I’ve heard of clear-cut pineland going for $6,000 an acre.”

For personal reasons, Howell has been following the real estate market closely. He and his wife each owned homes before they married, and both dwellings were left uninhabitable by Katrina. Lately, they have been house hunting in the Pearl River County area.

“My fear right now is that development will start working its way into our farmland,” Howell says. As he pointed out, crop acreage is usually fairly flat, already cleared and it tends to be close to good roads.