Collection

We stayed for Hurricane Katrina. I thought about the Bible story wherein a man stayed in a place and God did not destroy it because that person stayed.

Not that I am that good of a person, but just the same, I knew that God cared about me.

Mayor Ray Nagin called for an evacuation, but we stayed at our new place on Coliseum Street just off of Louisiana Avenue. The hurricane winds were frightening. We prayed in bed all throught the night. Michael said it was like being in a tent with the wind coming in and out like the tent was breathing. I thought it felt we were in a spaceship hurtling through the atmosphere.

We woke up alive. Michael went into the Quarter and discovered Johnny White's on Bourbon Street was serving Bloody Marys with ice!

The tree debris was unbelievable. If we had still lived on Louisiana Avenue, we would not have been able to drive out of the parking spot there. Fortunately, they had burrowed through all of the tree debris in front of our home at 3320 and we were able to leave on Tuesday when martial law was was declared and we found out on the AM Radio that the electricity would not be back on for months.

We packed in 30 minutes. A couple stopped by requesting a ride, but we had already filled Michael's 1996 Dodge Caravan and we had our cat with us. We were scared.

We were informed by the AM Radio station of the evacuation route which was the Crescent City Connection to Boute, then across to I-10.

I saw people looting the Wal-Mart on Tchoupotolous and innocently thought it was open. I noticed they were stealing large bags of dog food and knew that stores would not be open for a long time. I was scared to look at anyone else. We saw a police car on the next block and realized that it was OK.

I was so bummed out when I saw people WALKING across the Crescent City Connection--I wept--I thought, this is a third world situation...

When we got on the I-10 from 310, I glanced over at the I-10 and wept again--it was completely under water.

We drove to Michael's father's house in Sulphur and then on to Houston where my friend, Susan Kennedy, GAVE us her beautiful Montrose apartment and we stayed there for 2-1/2 months until the electricity came back on in New Orleans.

When I went to Church that next Sunday, I cried because not everyone had returned. Who was coming back?

Michael & I still live at 3320 Coliseum, I am not a licensed tour guide and Michael is a licensed minister. We are very happy that we were able to come back to our home town and that I am able to write this now.

God Bless all that perished and had tribulation during the levee breaks following Hurricane Katrina. We were so fortunate and grateful for everything. God Bless! Lips