ROUND ABOUT THIS TIME OF NIGHT, 9 YEARS AGO, I WAS BEING TOLD THAT THERE WAS TIDAL SPILLOVER AT 42ND AVE CROSSING IN WEST GULFPORT. THE RAILROAD WAS ELEVATED, AND ACTED LIKE A LEVEE ACROSS THE COAST. EVERYONE SOUTH OF THE LEVEE WAS DEVASTATED, AND MANY NORTH OF THE LEVEE WERE DAMAGED BUT SURVIVED. I REMEMBER TELLING THE GULFPORT PD DISPATCHER RELAYING THAT INFO TO ME THAT THIS MEANT I HAD 8 FOOT OF WATER IN MY HOUSE. AFTER THE CALL, I LOWERED MY HEAD AND DROPPED A FEW TEARS. WE COULD HEAR THE HOWLING WIND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE AND IT WAS BLOWING RAIN SIDEWAYS AGAINST THE METAL BUILDING. WE WERE SCARED AND WORRIED ABOUT THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS IN THE AREA THAT WE COULD NOT GET IN TOUCH WITH. LOOKING OUT THE BACK DOOR, ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS TOTAL BLACKNESS. THERE WAS NO POWER EXEPCT OUR GENERATOR, AND OUR LIGHTS ENDED AT THE END OF THE PARKING LOT. I WILL FOREVER REMEMBER THAT NIGHT, A NIGHT I NEVER WANT TO GO THROUGH AGAIN. HURRICANE KATRINA CAME AND WENT, AND CHANGED ALL OUR LIVES. WE ARE OLDER, WISER AND CHANGED FOR CERTAIN. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT SOMETHING POSITIVE CAME OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE, BUT I CANT PUT MY FINGER ON ANYTHING RIGHT NOW. TO ALL OF YOU WHO WERE WITH ME THAT NIGHT, HAPPY NINTH ANNIVERSARY...!
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 04:04:06 +0000
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