Point Clear, AL, August 31--In its 158-year history, the Grand Hotel has survived fires, floods, hurricanes and two rounds of duty as a military facility.
Maybe that's why General Manager David Clark was so nonchalant walking around the grounds Tuesday eyeing the millions of dollars in damage incurred Monday during Hurricane Katrina.
"The Grand is known for its resilience," Clark said. "You have to put this into perspective. There were no fatalities here. There's nothing that time and money can't fix."
The grounds of one of the oldest and most posh resorts in Alabama were covered by about an inch of slick mud that looked like melted milk chocolate.
Water had burst through the windows of the Grand Ballroom, several dining rooms and first-floor guest rooms. Inside the rooms, furniture was pushed against the walls and floors were covered by water, mud and broken glass.
The water flooded over the bulkheads and ripped all the planks off the hotel's pier, depositing the wood in front of the Grand Ballroom. The windows facing the bay from the ballroom were all broken, and water had destroyed parts of the drywall inside the building. Clark said the damage to the carpet in the ballroom alone would cost more than $1 million to replace.
