I have heard from friends that grow them. that they have a massive and rapidly wide spreading root system. That would bear out your observation that they can withstand strong straight line winds. Do you know what the top wind speed was in that area? How much damage did Van Cleave suffer? I assume from your name that you live in the area.
I traveled in that area, in connection with my job, many years ago and Van Cleave was one of my favorite towns. The old General Store with many interesting items from yesteryear and the cafe next door, where I always stopped to eat lunch and then brag to my friends about the world's largest hamburger that I usually ordered. A dinner plate would hold only one! At that time, they only had one industry, the making of charcoal, but during deer season, the area became quite crowded by day.
Sorry to go OT, but it is refreshing to be reminded of an area that I remember with fondness!
Rb

but it was between Dinwiddie and Richardson Hall, and next to Loyola's Sacred Heart Church. Dinwiddie and Richardson are two stone buildings, each about four stories high-the tree was as high as they were so it was more or less sheltered on three sides by the buildings and the church (which is brick.)
I thought for years it was a cypress and then found out differently! It is a nice tree.

Thank you Razor and Drasaid...I'm not sure what the winds were in Vancleave from Katrina but not terribly strong. Maybe 80 to 120mph. But don't quote me. The slash pines were hit hard. I know of a very large live oak on the west side of hwy 57 that split along what must have been a weak crotch. In Ocean Springs a nice 40' magnolia that had been limbed up to around six feet tipped over. Don't limb up your magnolias! Bald cypress seems to be the best hurricane tree of all.

I just remembered that there may be a grove of dawn redwoods planted in the median of hwy 49 somewhere between the coast and Hattiesburg. If I'm right about that... anyone out there know how they did?