Litter cleanup tells the story of Mardi Gras

Debris from Tuesday’s weather-hampered Fat Tuesday celebration, much like the Mardi Gras crowd itself, was about half of what it normally is each year, says Mike McDonnell, a supervisor in the city’s Public Works Department, and his crews were able to have most of it up by 11 this morning.

A Public Works crew of 26 laborers, aided by Parks and Recreation crews and a county crew on U.S. 90, used rakes, front end loaders, a street sweeper and a small four-wheel vacuum to pick up broken beads and other litter from along the 2.7-mile long downtown parade route.

“It was not nearly as bad as it usually is,” said McDonnell, whose crews began policing the streets at 6 this morning. “To be honest, it was about half of what we’re used to seeing. I was surprised when we went out there this morning.”

Police estimated a crowd of about 35,000 paradegoers endured the cold and wet conditions Tuesday. The throng was less than half of what it typically is for Biloxi’s Mardi Gras parades.

Clean-up photos: To see photos of the clean-up operation, click here.

Gulf Coast Carnival parade photos: To see Gulf Coast Carnival Association parade photos posted Tuesday evening on the city’s Facebook page, click here.

Neptune parade photos: To see Neptune parade photos, click here.

News and notes
Fire response: Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney on Tuesday evening dispatched one of the city’s ladder trucks and six Biloxi firefighters in response to a request for assistance from the D’Iberville Fire Department, which was battling a fire that destroyed more than a dozen units at an Automall Parkway apartment complex.

Traffic update: To see the daily Traffic Update, click here.