ABSTRACT
In the first few days following the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling rig on April 20, 2010 and its eventual sinking, the citizens and agencies of the Mississippi Gulf Coast were obviously concerned. As the full extent of the tragedy unfolded in the following weeks, the local, county, and state agencies organized to address the impending myriad of environmental, economics, and health concerns they were about to face. With lingering memories of the devastating impacts of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the coastal communities of Mississippi recognized they would need immediate action-swift political decisions and strong community volunteerism-to protect the Gulf Coast from this new crisis.
