Hurricane Katrina - Complete and total devastation
I don't think the world really had a good idea of what happened in Louisiana and Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina. We all saw the news, but I don't think we go it. I certainly didn't.
Imagine a bomb going off, leaving rubble and most of the trees, decimating up to 90% of cities along the coast. People were left with nothing. Their lives literally washed away. Many watched it happen, escaping to their roofs, clinging to parts of their home, waiting for the water to go down. Some swam to higher ground. Rescue was impossible for a time. 911 received phone calls and simply took down names and locations, saying someone would come when they could. No one could get to them. When they did, they came in boats. Hundreds died and many are still "missing". Casino barges, as big as one city block were washed 100’s of meters onto the shore, sitting on the 90 that runs along the beach. Bridges were destroyed. One family had a seadoo in their livingroom. Another had 4 roofs mixed in their debris. Others were left with nothing but the concrete foundation of what was their home, everything completely washed or blown away. Some couldn’t even figure out where their homes had been due to the debris. For New Orleans, water remained in the cities for up to 10 days after the storm, being trapped by the very levees that were designed to keep the water out. People there had even more serious issues of survival and rescue. Many were not able to return and when they did, there was the damage caused by water, mold and mildew.
Many people stayed. They didn't evacuate despite the warnings. Many had nowhere to go, no family to stay with or no money for hotels. Many who had lived through Camille 30 years before thought they could live through this. They couldn't imagine how bad it could be. It has been labelled the worst natural disaster in US recorded history.
After the storm, people who were still there had nothing. No water, no food, no clothing, no shelter from the hot sun. They waited days in some cases to be rescued off the tops of homes, and then,even when they were dry, had to stand in line for hours for water and ice. Never mind what was to come next. Thoughts of where they would live, how they would replace all their much needed necessities, how or if they would rebuild. Where would they get money to survive, as many now no longer had paying jobs. They had to live off the charity of others, but for how long? How long would people and donations continue? Footage shows line-ups, days long to fill out the FEMA required forms, to get aid. Would they get a trailer? What would their insurance pay if anything? Would they get food? Could they get a change of clothes? Hospitals were also devastated so even getting medical care was difficult.
Then imagine the emotional impact of this. Post-traumatic stress, depression, suicide. A pastor here tries to work with the community. He sees a loss of hope. They have lost loved ones. They watch their neighbors’ house be rebuilt, and have no resources for themselves. They live next to empty lots. They are constantly surrounded by reminders. It is everywhere, yet everyone has their unique story
People sent aid. They drove down carloads of supplies. They sent people, they sent money but it was nowhere near enough. As of December, there were still 4000 people in FEMA trailers, living on their own front lawns, 3 ½ years later. FEMA has put a deadline of March 2009 when they will be reclaiming their trailers. What happens then? There are still "tent cities", homeless people, and people who haven't returned, who have decided to relocate elsewhere, permanently. There are empty lots everywhere, houses boarded up and broken, or gone completely leaving only the foundation, trees and overgrown grass. The beachfront still looks barren. Many have the false belief that this is all by choice, but it’s not. The people still living in trailers are waiting for their homes to be rebuilt, either for the money or the help to do it, because they were so far down the line of “needy” people.
Most could only get insurance for water if they were on the "flood plain" and so many were not. If you had insurance, companies were getting multiple claims for the same house and were asking people to prove it was their home. How do you prove this when your whole life has washed away? Then there was the question of how much you got. For some, it could cover the materials, but not the labour. Then, was there even anyone to do it? At a reasonable price? Now, companies won’t insure homes that are 1000 feet from the shoreline and many other new restrictions apply, so many are facing rebuilding, with no future protection.
We saw footage of what Biloxi looked like before and after and only then could we really appreciate all that has changed. We see it driving down the road, especially the 90 which runs along the beach. There are so many empty lots, with almost no one on the beaches. There is so much not rebuilt, yet or ever.
New Orleans, where the media focused on, is even further behind in rebuilding. Driving through the 9th Ward, one of the hardest hit when the levees broke still looks devastated. Abandoned houses everywhere, some boarded up, some just left, like people never even returned. There is garbage everywhere. There was looting in the days after Katrina, people trying to get anything they could. New Orleans is now considered one of the most dangerous cities in North America. People are still just trying to survive.
Camp Biloxi where we have been for the last week was put into operation soon after Katrina. They have been rebuilding houses with volunteers, money from grants and anything they can get. They feed you, well. They have showers, places to sleep, electricity and water. There are many other organizations around doing the same thing. It is not enough, but it is something.
There are people here, long-term volunteers who have been here for years. They all have their stories, their own tragic reasons for being here. They are united by a common goal of wanting to help and start over for their own reasons.
The spirit is amazing. People were saying right after the storm, “we will rebuild, this is our home”. People help their neighbours, sometimes even before helping themselves. Volunteering their time, their resources and their expertise. A sense of community exists beyond anything we have ever experienced. It is wonderful to see the resiliency of people and what can be done.
So much work is left. So much more money is needed. Such a faster response was necessary. God help us if we ever have to live through something like this. I only hope the people who decide who gets help consider us important enough, that they do not ignore us because of our skin color or socio-economic status. I hope if we are ever in need, we will find a community that surrounds us like the one in the south.
I have taken a few photos but none could really grasp the reality of what we were seeing. Go online, see footage from news agencies (especially Channel 13). Better yet, go down and volunteer. It’s easy to do and so badly needed.
I don't think the world really had a good idea of what happened in Louisiana and Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina. We all saw the news, but I don't think we go it. I certainly didn't.
