Not the kind of report any lighthouser wants to read...

This report is abridged from an email circulated by Warren Lee on October 4, 2004.

Overview
When seen from a distance the damage to the lighthouse is not apparent [but] upon closer inspection some significant damage was discovered. The most astounding find was the structural damage to the brick work on the [tower] and the reshaping and removal of protective rocks by the hurricane.

Brick Work Exterior

The entry door has lost many bricks along the western edge for a distance of about 8 ft.
A hole in the masonry wall can be seen on the northwest corner of the lighthouse. This hole is about 3x3 in size and involves the exterior wall of the lighthouse.
Much of the mortar along the northern side has been completely removed from the sandblasting the lighthouse received from sand carried off of [the] Fort Morgan area and the bricks are loose and falling out. The entire structure needs tuck point mortaring or the bricks are going to continue to fall off the lighthouse.
The foundation shows signs of crumbling that has never been there before.
Cracks have appeared in the masonry that were not there before the storm. Several of these are quite extensive.
Brick Work Interior

A detailed interior inspection [beyond looking through the entrance door way] was not made at this time. Bricks have loosened and holes are now apparent in the interior wall of the lighthouse.
The security door mountings have broken loose from the brick work due to the bricks collapsing around the door. This might pose a danger to the public if they force the door open and enter the structure in its present condition.
Boulders Strike Lighthouse

Several 1-2 ton boulders were thrown against the base of the lighthouse during the storm, damaging brick work of the lighthouse. A few remain against the lighthouse's base. These are evidence of the tremendous fury that the structure underwent. A large boulder is now below the old entrance way to the lighthouse. Two more are along the East and north east sides of the lighthouse. Several more have been displaced from around the lighthouse's base and are nowhere to be found.
Island Proper Damaged

Many of the boulders some weighing several tons were completely removed from the island and relocated in the Gulf waters some distance from the lighthouse.
The old home foundation on the North side of the lighthouse has several large chunks broken off and water now stands almost all the way to the foundation of the lighthouse. No protection remains along the northern side of the lighthouse now of any serious consequence. Without this rock island protection the next hurricane could possibly destroy the lighthouse completely.
Oyster shells are now on the topside of many of the boulders well above and beyond the high tide line, and as we all know, oysters do not grow out of the ocean.
Iron Work

New cracks have appeared in the iron work near the top and several feet of hand railing are now missing.
The interior stairs are pulled loose from the wall and need repair also.
Signs

All signs were destroyed that were at the lighthouse.
This concludes our report. We are sorry that our report could not have been more favorable.

Sincerely,
Warren Lee
Ben Murphy
Alabama Lighthouse Association