On Losing Everything
This past week I saw that purple and gold tour bus from Louisiana State University in my town, not only surprising me but also forcing me to think back on my childhood in the south. Growing up in southern Louisiana one must be prepared for major storms and flooding at less than a day’s notice. Hurricanes are powerful storms that can ravish towns and can be deadly for people and animals alike. Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast in August of 2005, and I was in the midst of that wreckage. My family and I were living in a small, close-knit community, named St. Amant, about an hour west of New Orleans. On the third day of the hurricane, my family experienced a loss greater than we could have ever imagined. This
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In no way do I mean to trivialize the severe and deadly effects hurricanes can potentially bring, but not all hurricanes are the same. Most storms that would make it to the area I used to live usually lost strength by the time it got to us. For the weaker storms, the kids would get a mini vacation from school, and the parents got a much-needed break from work. At the time, I thought everyone in Louisiana and especially New Orleans were not ready for what was coming. Louisiana is a laid back state, due to its French roots. The catch-phrase for the state was always “Laissez Les Bon Temps rouler,” or “Let the good times roll!” So, it’s easy to see why the media portrayed Louisianan’s as “not caring” about the tropical storm that was headed our way. We did care, we were just expecting much less than what we received. I think a good way to describe this is that people from California have been through many earthquakes and are prepared for them, but would you stop living your life for a small earthquake that might not happen? Probably not. My family tried to be as prepared as we possibly could, but there is only so much money to go around buying things for situations that might not even happen. My dad purchased our first gasoline generator earlier that year which sadly put a dent into our emergency savings. Nevertheless, we had enough supplies, water, and food to last about a week if necessary. From my memories, about a week
The Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s digital publishing initiative, Documenting the American South, provides a first-hand perspective on Southern history through interviews. On June 4, 2006, Pamela Mahogany was interviewed for her personal experience involving the events following Hurricane Katrina. Mahogany describes her actions before deciding to evacuate her home, her trip to the New Orleans Saints’ Superdome, her horrific time at the Superdome, and finally her decision to leave New Orleans. Mahogany’s portrayal of these events allows those who were not directly affected by the hurricane to better understand the physical and emotional distress forced on the victims. For Pamela Mahogany, and probably most other New Orleans residents, Hurricane Katrina at the beginning seemed just like any other storm.
One of the most traumatizing hurricanes to ever hit the U.S., was named Katrina. The hurricane caused the cities of Louisiana to be derelict. Louisiana’s governor performed a speech in New Orleans in order to satisfy the community. Kathleen Blanco’s speech, “Hurricane Katrina” uses the appeals pathos and logos to encourage Louisiana to help rebuild the state, and to make sure the people know that everything will be rebuilt.
Hurricane Katrina, one of the most destructive hurricanes to whirl through the southern states of America in 2005, is probably one of the worst natural disasters of the United States in the 21st century. Damages from the storm were estimated at more than $100 billion . People living in the southern states fled north to reach safety from the storm after hearing about it being a category five hurricane on the news a few mornings before Katrina hit the shore. Authorities were doing what they were supposed to be doing, telling everyone to seek shelter, board up windows, head north and prepare for the storm. Everything in the beginning appeared to be just another
Author Kristina Kay Robinson wrote in her short story 10 Years Since: A Mediation on New Orleans, “I don’t know how long my city has for me, but every day that I remain, I am working, searching for a newer, truer meaning for the concept of forward.” This sentiment remains true to this day for those devastated by the August 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The aftermath and trauma that victims of Katrina faced in New Orleans, Louisiana, left many people homeless and with psychological issues. Levees in New Orleans failed as large waves flooded the city that was already below sea level. Hurricane Katrina’s course of major destruction left many southern states, including Louisiana, with billions of dollars in damage and destruction and a more than 1,800
In the late summer of 2005, a terrible tragedy occurred that changed the lives of many in the south-east region of the United States. A Category 3, named storm, named Hurricane Katrina, hit the Gulf Coast on the 29th of August and led to the death of 1,836 and millions of dollars’ worth of damage (Waple 2005). The majority of the damage occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana. Waple writes in her article that winds “gusted over 100 mph in New Orleans, just west of the eye” (Waple 2005). Not only was the majority of the damage due to the direct catastrophes of the storm but also city’s levees could no longer hold thus breaking and releasing great masses of water. Approximately, 80% of the city was submerged at sea level. Despite the vast amount
In this paper I read the Essay that Abe Louise Young wrote about “The Voice of Katrina Part One”. In this Essay at its core is about Hurricane Katrina, which was a massive hurricane that hit in 2005. It caused massive damage and destruction along the Gulf coast from Florida to Texas. Hurricane Katrina will always be remembered for hitting New Orleans, Louisiana, when the levee system failed leaving 80% of the city flooded and destroyed. Hitting the worst parts of New Orleans such as the 9th ward, already being one of the poorest areas in Mississippi. Much of the Essay talks about the people of New Orleans, Abe being a new graduate started Alive in Truth: The New Orleans Disaster Oral History and Memory Project, her goal she state’s is to
Author Kristina Kay Robinson wrote in her short story 10 Years Since: A Mediation on New Orleans, “I don’t know how long my city has for me, but every day that I remain, I am working, searching for a newer, truer meaning for the concept of forward.” To this day, this sentiment remains authentic for those devastated by the August 2005 Hurricane Katrina. Accordingly, the aftermath and trauma that victims of Katrina faced in New Orleans, Louisiana, left countless amounts of people homeless and with psychological issues. Levees in New Orleans failed as enormous waves flooded the city that was already below sea level. Consequently, Hurricane Katrina’s course of major annihilation was detrimental and left various southern states, including Louisiana, with billions of dollars in damage and destruction and a
Hurricane Katrina was a devastating disaster that has affected many people in New Orleans as well as the surrounding areas. It had a stunning “death toll of 1300 people and damage over $100 billion ”( Davlasheridze 94 ). The communication were taken down hours after Katrina because of the unexpected fast winds and floods that broke down “3 million phone lines and 1,000 cellular towers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.”( Joch ). Because of the millions of phone lines that were battered, contacting the government for help was difficult hours after hurricane Katrina. Not only that, the people of New Orleans underestimated the power of Hurricane Katrina causing many to be “ stranded with no food or water” ( Narrator, “The Storm”,PBS ).
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast at daybreak, “pummeling a region that included the fabled city of New Orleans and heaping damage on neighboring Mississippi. In all, more than 1,700 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of others displaced.” (Laforet, New York Times)
Hurricane Katrina was a devastating disaster that has affected many people in New Orleans. The communication broke down hours after Katrina because of the unexpected fast winds and floods that broke down “3 million phone lines and 1,000 cellular towers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.”( Joch ). Because of the millions of phone lines that were broken down, contacting the government for help was difficult hours after hurricane Katrina. Not only that, the people of New Orleans underestimated the power of Hurricane Katrina causing many to be “ stranded with no food or water” (Narrator, “The Storm”,PBS).
Living in Florida there are many things to be worried about from alligators, hot heat, and the most important hurricanes. The first hurricane I experienced was in the first two months of me living in Florida. I moved here from New York and I had no idea what to expect when I heard that a hurricane was coming. It was like nothing I had experienced before, seeing a tree pulled from the ground by only water and wind was a devastating experience that I was something I did not expect to see. After the hurricane, my dad went to the store and bought as much; canned food, water bottles, candles, flashlights and batteries he could find to make sure that just in case another hurricane hit we would be prepared. After the hurricane, I started to wonder about better ways on how to prepare for another hurricane. Especially, living in Florida there are
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in late August of 2005, it not only destroyed the city, but unraveled the ties that held the society together. Tens of thousands of people were forced out of their homes, bound to find a means of survival on their own. Relationships they had previously formed, social constants they had grown accustomed to were thrown out of the window, and laws became irrelevant. Within a matter of days, everything they had known was destroyed, and it became the survival of the fittest and the wealthiest. While this broken society brought out the inner hero in some people, it brought out the chaos and lawlessness in others. Some embraced selflessness and saved hundreds of people, while others turned to looting, shooting,
August 29, 2005 may be just another date to most of the American population but for New Orleans it is a date that weighs heavy on the hearts of the residents. Every year when this date comes around, residents are reminded of the lost ones they didn’t get to say goodbye too, the pets that were lost, homes that were damaged and lost, families that were shattered and broken apart due to this tragic event. Thousands of lives were taken during this time, not including the hundreds of thousands of homes that were lost. Many people sat on the roofs of their homes trapped inside of unbearable hot attics, or canoeing through disease waters trying to stay alive until emergency response teams could reach them.
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August of 2005. A once vibrant and cultural community was decimated by harsh winds and extreme flooding. The rescue efforts sent to Louisiana were substantial, consisting of now only FEMA but also donated services from other countries as well. Even so thousands of people were displaced from their homes. There are people who refused to leave even after their homes were flooded and their mementos lost to the dirty polluted water. Ten years after the fact the city is still under construction. There are varying degrees of repair from street to street, the tourist area was one of the first few areas to be repaired, and the neighboring residential areas seem to have become of secondary importance. People were forced into homelessness because they could not afford to repair the house they had worked to attain before the hurricane toppled their economy. Still to this day the homeless line the streets, which should seem scary and dangerous, but it does not feel that way. It has become obvious that people need to learn to look beyond their own beliefs to better understand the world as a whole because not everything is how it seems.
When was the last time you or your family were affected by the path of a hurricane? How was your experience? Some hurricanes can leave devastation, but it can be more dangerous if you don’t prepare and expose your family to the hazards during the landfall and aftermath. To be fully prepared in the event of a and have ways of staying informed and keep family entertained to avoid anxiety hurricane you must have an emergency evacuation plan. Gather essential supplies, protect one’s home, and have ways of staying informed and keep the family entertained to avoid anxiety or panic attacks.