The Wrath of Killer Katrina
Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Friends:

Hurricane Katrina barreled into the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, raging at 155 mph. This made her a strong Category 4 storm. A Category 5 is 156 mph+. Fortunately, Katrina slowed down from a catastrophic 175 mph and we were relieved that she weakened.

My family and I were glued to the TV the entire day. My mom and I woke up at 4 a.m. to watch Katrina’s landfall. She made her official touch down at 6:10 a.m. CDT. I was in awe of the sheer power of her wrath. She began her upward climb into Louisiana slightly west of Grand Isle, which is located in South East Louisiana, directly on the Gulf Coast. Grand Isle is a fishing community and everyone evacuated save 4 residents who thought they could “ride out the storm because they went through Camille and Betsy.”

Making a slight Easterly turn, Katrina continued to move inland, thrashing trees, mowing down power lines, and leaving a path of devastation. The eye wall passed just west of downtown New Orleans, sparing the city from the worst devastation. Her winds ripped a portion off the roof of the Superdome, which was the temporary home of 10,000 stranded residents. She was not as kind to surrounding areas. Her winds caused massive storm surges and water poured into other parts of Metropolitan New Orleans (Kenner, Metairie, New Orleans East, St. Bernard Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and the West Bank [where I live]). Half of New Orleans is drowning under water.

We have several family members who, because of their jobs or circumstances, had to stay behind. My husband's Aunt Fefe stayed at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office because her son is Sheriff Harry Lee's right hand man. The roof of the Sheriff's office blew off and she informed us that where we live, things are very bad. The street that leads to my house is a river. My neighborhood is completely flooded. We were told that we would not be able to return home for four to six weeks. There is no way into the city. More than a million homes are without power, water, and gas. The major roadways are closed. Although New Orleans avoided a direct hit, the damage is nonetheless devastating. We watched New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin urge people to stay out of New Orleans as damage assessment, relief efforts, clean-up and restoration begins.

My husband's Uncle Danny is with the New Orleans Police Department. He trains dogs and will be using them to search for bodies trapped in houses. East New Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes have severe flooding and we were told that bodies are floating and people who opted to stay had to bust through their roofs to escape rising waters. The National Guard is setting up temporary morgues to house the dead. The Twin Span, two bridges that connect New Orleans to Slidell (on I-10), is completely decimated.

Antonio's other uncle, Sherwin, is with the New Orleans Fire Department. He is busy rescuing stranded people. He has been asking residents with boats who stayed behind to lend their boats to the rescue cause. My brother's ex-wife (we have their four kids with us) has a house in St. Bernard Parish and it is likely that her house is submerged. In addition, we also have friends who live in on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi. They received a direct hit from Katrina and have been devastated.

Experiencing a storm like this left me humbled. There is nothing more powerful than Mother Nature. No matter how strong your house is, all it takes is one natural disaster to bring it down.

A great challenge lies ahead. Because of the standing water, disease-carrying mosquitoes will be an issue. We also face a massive clean-up effort, the filing of insurance claims, and bringing our children back up to speed in school because of all the school they will miss. Hurricane Katrina is our Tsunami and I hope that communities will come together in the relief effort.

There is always beauty behind tragedy. Although I may have lost everything I own, I rejoice in the fact that I have my family with me. I have my computer and can restore my business. My Auntie Erlie and her husband are leaving for the Philippines for six months and have offered their house in Houston to us for as long as we need it. I have a community of storyteller friends who have offered to help us out in any way possible.

Don’t think that Katrina stomped on my spirit. I am more determined than ever to rise above the rising waters. May God continue to watch over us, fortify us, and provide for us in the days ahead.

Until next time…