Hurricane Katrina was very devastating to many people along the Southern Gulf Coast. The storm itself, however, was not as bad as the aftermath. Race, sex, income and age played a huge role in what would happen to you and your family. \r\n I have friend (an ex colleague) that has a very low income. She has 2 kids and is a single mother. She did not have the fund available to just leave and go to a hotel for a few days. She managed to get out, but it was a very trying experience. Now, she has nothing. Her apartment in New Orleans east is not there anymore. After about a month of anxiety the Red Cross and fema finally came through for her. \r\n\r\n This is just one story out of hundreds that tell the tale of a single mother who can’t get a job. Think about it, they are evacuees… who is going to watch her two kids if she goes to work? \r\n\r\n As unfortunate as her story is there is still a group who was even more devastated than the single mothers, it is the elderly. I read a story today on NOLA about an old woman that drowned in her own home. She may have not had any family, where was her government; her community leaders? Who was there to help her?\r\n\r\n It almost seemed that the government was holding the people of New Orleans hostage. They could have helped the people trapped in the city; many deaths could have been avoided. It was almost like no one cared; they didn’t know what to do and didn’t want to deal with. To be honest, these people had no other options. The government should have cared for them.\r\n\r\n My own personal experience, although not as bad as most, was pretty upsetting. My fiancée and I were planning to buy a house in a cute little neighborhood called Acadian Villas. We were going to sign the papers on Monday, but evacuated for the storm on Sunday. \r\n\r\nWe returned to find that the home we were going to build would now be $20,000 more. After the tears, we agreed to pay the price for the home. We will sign the papers later this week. We do, however, get to save money. The place we were going to have our wedding no longer exists. \r\n\r\nI am not sure how it happened or why it happened, but too many people suffered for no reason. People were forced to loot, labeled thieves and almost left to die.