On the morning of September 28, 1998, Hurricane Georges (a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale) made landfall between the towns of Ocean Springs and Biloxi, Mississippi. Passing well to the west of Dauphin Island, the storm still impacted the island with wind speeds up to 129 km/hr (a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale). This resulted in substantial changes along the island's gulf side. The eastern end of the island experienced a storm surge along with accompanying storm waves that easily overtopped the swash zone berm crest. Storm waves washed tens of meters landward and flattened the beach profile. Much of the western end of the island was completely overwashed by storm waves. As of early 2005, natural shoreline processes have not restored the pre-storm beach profile or returned the swash zone to its former position. Tropical storms and hurricanes that impact the island reveal its vulnerability and dependence on regular sand nourishment. Hurricane Georges exposed the fragile nature and precarious setting of Dauphin Island in the Gulf of Mexico.