68 A BICENTENNIAL HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, HIGHSMITH (CAROL M.) ARCHIVE PHOTOS COURTESY OF MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY HURRICANE CAMILLE Hurricane Camille was a Category 5 storm that raged past the mouth of the Mississippi River and struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast on the night of August 17, 1969. Early the next morning, the hurricane hit land between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian. The storm damaged all measuring instruments, but the top wind speeds were estimated to be 200 miles per hour. Camille wrecked the Mississippi Gulf Coast, completely demolishing restaurants, homes, hotels, and other buildings.