Round Island Lighthouse

The Round Island Lighthouse is located approximately 3.4 nautical miles Southwest of the mainland of Pascagoula River entrance and 4.25 nautical miles North of the East end of Horn Island, one of several barrier islands paralleling the coast of Jackson County, Mississippi. Between the coast and the barrier islands lies the Mississippi Sound.

The earliest available map of the island was created in 1886 which located the lighthouse, keeper's quarters and overall island layout. At this time, the island included over 130 acres of useable land compared with current estimates of 77 acres. The island shore is a surf zone where high wave energy and shifting sebaceous onshore and longshore currents transports common sand to an estimated depth of 8 feet.

According to current FEMA requirements, the 100 year flood plane elevation for Round Island is 14.0 feet Mean Sea Level with a velocity factor of 12. The above requirements pertain entirely to the hurricane effects experienced in the area since 1965. Hurricane Betsey (1695) produced a 6.4 flood tide above Mean Sea Level which compared to Hurricane Frederic (1979) surge tide of 5.8 feet. The major storm, Hurricane Camille (1969) produced an 11 foot storm surge in Pascagoula. However Hurricane Georges' (1998) had a 10 foot storm surge. The Lighthouse could not withstand the winds and the waves associated with Hurricane Georges' and was overturned and broken up. A recovery program has began for the Lighthouse. All the broken bricks and other pieces of the Lighthouse has been recovered and stored at the Port of Pascagoula Bayou Casotte Facilities. The base has been recovered and re-leveled. A 50 foot diameter cassion has been driven around the Lighthouse base and filled with sand. The base now sits in the middle of the cassion, this should protect the Lighthouse from other Hurricanes for years to come.

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