Katrina . This was a letter I wrote as soon as I got to a computer after Katrina. Read for content and put away the red pen... .For those who dont know ...heres my story . On Friday night I had coffee with friends and listened to poetry, played a silly scrabble game in the coffee shop off Esplanade Ave at the Fairgrinds. Friday was a great day as it completed my first week at my new school. The energy and and positive attitude at the school was awesome and I pinched myself many times just to make sure it was real. I loved the faculty, the kids and the environment. I wasnt even concerned I didnt have a classroom as I loved being there.I went to bed Friday night satisfied and excited about my new life that seemed to be unfolding. Little did I know what life had in store for me in a few short days. Saturday morning i woke up and rose to my sisters voice on the phone wanting to know if I had gassed up my car. Half asleep and confused I didnt understand the reason for her call. As her voice got louder and more excited her words became clearer. She informed me of the category 5 hurricane headed our way. I had heard something a few days earlier about a hurricane hitting Florida but didnt pay much attention as many didnt. Al I I knew was the storm wasnt headed for us, besides I was busy attending to m life. Well because of the urgency in my sisters voice I did get up and gas up my car, I waited two hours in line on Saturday morning. When I got home I packed my;pictures and a few clothes and my two cats and their stuff. After looking at the weather reports and pondering the location of my house was convinced my house would be the sieve for Lake Ponchartrain. I left and cried that I couldnt pack my pcs or my paintings ;all my other belongings. Sunday morning I left at 5A.M. to beat the traffic on the Causeway bridge ( a 24 mile bridge which crosses Lake Ponchartrain) to Covington and my dads house, to hunker down for the hurricane .I was nervous about not going further out of harms way but at least I would be with my family. My dad a civil engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers had always warned us about this scenario if a Cat 5 hurricane took the critical path. My dad passed away the day we bombed Bagdad. Even though he wasnt with us his fortress, 27 feet above sea level he built in the woods of Covington held up. During the storm we sat in the den until the weather deteriorated and we moved to the hallway. Our crew consisted of my dads brother, his wife( diabetic on insulin),my sister Laurie her; best friend Onya,6 dogs; and 2 cats and a bird.. We lost power before the storm got bad. During the storm Onya and Laurie kept running into the den to look at the winds out of the windows, when suddenly we heard a loud thundering crack that shook the house .The first pine tree hit the house with the branches coming through the skylight . Onya and Laurie screamed and scrambled back to the hall and didnt venture from our safe place again. We all sat in darkness and screamed each time we heard the pines moan. Pine trees actually moan before they uproot from the ground or crack in . Most times thought pine trees crack My dads house at the height of the storm seemed no safer than ; my little blue house on the lake when the pines began to crack. During the hurricane you sort of loose track of time and listen to the sounds of the trees , wind and rain. A second tree hit the house on the same side of the house. Although we didnt know the damage ; the water was raining in and you could see the outline of the sheetrock above. Dad designed the house and made sure it had a beam to hold ; the snow in the room with the 20 foot ceiling. We know dad must have been smiling as he knew that his snow load beam that my mom often made fun of ( new Olreans doesnt get snow) saved our lives. When the weather began to clear we ventured to the porch to see the damage. ......OMG .. Everywhere in every direction pine trees were piled like pixie sticks. Pines snapped in half exposing the whitish interior all ragged. As I looked at the destruction iseemed incredible that only two of some thirty trees that fell, fell towards the house. The huge oak behind the den uprooted and fell back away from; the house. I will always remember the moaning of the trees and the ground shaking as each one hit. It was literally the scariest night of my life. The survivor shows could have taped us for the next 11 days w/ o electricity . We did have water as my dad had an artesian well however , it was a trickling spicket outside on the ground next to the garage. The motor from the pump was not working w/o electricity therefore we had to haul water to flush toilets , wash dishes and to drink. My job was keeping the dishes clean and the kitchen tidy since I have trouble walking; with my knees all messed up. Laurie took the position as leader of our survivor group Katrina tribe which was a good thing.I even fashioned a tshirt using bleach on a red tshirt to make a Katrina tribe t shirt with the words i survived! The first 5 days we were strictly in survivor mode .... salvaging food before it spoiled and finding food other than hurricane food ( carbs from hell).We took our daily bath in a baby pool with ice cold water from the well. The water was actually refreshing as the heat in new Orleans in August is miserable. Many times while bathing the helicopters flew above and we just waved. Our clothes we washed in the tub too and hung them on make shift lines, One day while sitting on the porch in the early morning ...all in our underwear lol...the sheriff pulled up .. well I had run inside to get my shorts .While inside I went to the bathroom when I heard Becky , the sheriff needs to see you ! I was like omg I am in the bathroom. I went outside and the sheriff informed me a friend Jo was looking for me and wanted to know if I was OK. I said Im fine but I dont know this Jo person. It was later that I realized it was Jo aka texaslonestar form a chatroom i used to go to,that somehow figured out I had gone to my dads. I dont know anyones last name so I I didnt realize right away who Jo was . lol I spent lots of time reading emails and text messaging friends but i couldnt receive calls or make them. Three days in a row we went to the local Waffle House for hot food, cold drinks and air condition ! Eventually businesses began to open and one of our daily trips was to get ice, water and ready to eat meals from the FEMA crew. Wallmart opened for provisional items only and we visited them many times. Well each day things became easier and each day we listened to the radio 24/7 for reports of what was going on back home. All the while not seeing any pictures and listening to lots of talk and many rumors. I got to see the first pictures of New Orleans over the weekend as I visited a friend in Baton Rouge. ( ac a bed and cold drinks,; ahhhhh) My sister Laurie got to see her house and returned to Metaire 3 days in a row to remove the carpets and bury the garbage from her fridge as instructed. Each night she would return to the hot house and collapse. Each night she would return to the house in Covington and collect water to fill the toilet tanks and to bath off the stench from the carpet removal. She said the stench is horrible . She checked on my little blue house next to the levee and said it was untouched by the storm with only a few branches down. Only six blocks from the levee break I am to say the least incredibly fortunate. Many firends in Lakeview and the Carollton area of town lost their homes. It is really terrible and sad . I love New Orleans and anyone who knows me knows how much I do. I have heard from many friends who have already made plans to leave and I am very sad but I understand. My life did unfold that day in a way I never could have expected. I am gratetful my famiy was spared from what many had to endure. I beleive like many I am still in shock Pray for us ...pray for the victims of this awful l disaster. Thanks for letting me share my storyBecky
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 20:17:30 +0000
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