"Business in the office has picked up dramatically since Aug. 29 (the date Hurricane Katrina struck," he said. "Who could plan for the worst natural disaster in the history of the country?"
While officials couldn't plan for the heavy devastation, groups had studied what would happen if a hurricane struck the casinos.
Nosef, in fact, was part of a study that targeted one coastal casino, noting the bottom blew out but structure remained.
Another casino had built their gaming area higher than the flood level of Hurricane Camille, yet had two floors flood, he said.
"Louisiana had a lot of damage and flooding, but towns on the coast are just gone," Nosef said. "Waveland does not have one habitable structure. Hancock County has one grocery store that they got two weeks ago.
"People are really suffering," he said. "The governor, Jim Barksdale and his counsel hope to keep people interested not just now, but five to 10 years from now."
Barksdale was chosen by Barbour to lead the Governor's Commission on Renewal and Recovery, which could ultimately move Highways 90 and 10 and several railroads destroyed in the storm.
Nosef said his office had joked with officials from MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Agency) about previous hurricanes.
"They were often wrong, but never in doubt," Nosef said of the officials forecasts on where hurricanes would touch land.
However, Nosef noted, the Friday before the hurricane was different. "The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) chief had called the governors and warned of the catastrophe."
Nosef said the governor quickly released a state of emergency the following morning, even debating on whether or not to impose martial law.
"(Barbour) did not want to create panic or confusion with martial law," he said. "The benefits, whatever they were, were outweighed by panic. We even discussed shutting down the government."
One positive Nosef noted is that hurricane victims are remaining in the region with 78-80 percent still living in the same ZIP Code and 90 percent still in the state.
Nosef said the state is currently waiting to see what relief the federal government provides before using private money.
The state itself has raised some $14 million in relief through fundraising efforts such as the recent Mississippi Rising concert.
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