Well, I can't remember if I posted their story here or not. This is DH's mom and stepdad. They have lived in that house for 22 or 23 years. They had gotten word from a friend on the city planning commission that they expected Katrina to be a 2 when it hit and it would have 13 ft storm surge. Their property is at 17 ft and they have stayed for cat 2's before with no problems - they just board up the windows and wait it out - this house survived Camile in the 60's.
When DH's younger brother talked with them Monday morning, the storm surge was just up to the porch - 17 ft + about 2 ft so it was at 19 ft already. When DH talked to them it was ankle deep in the house. When DH's step brother talked to them it was waist deep and they were heading for the attic. At that point we lost touch with them - I guess that is when the cell towers were destroyed.
We were suposed to be on our way to Hilton Head for our anniversary but decided to wait to leave until we could see how the storm came in. DH was very nervous and upset that we lost contact with his folks. We decided to cancel our trip in case we needed to go down there. DH left Tuesday morning from Montgomery and was able to get to their house - a neighbor wanted some antiques out of her house so her son used his heavy equipment to clear the street to his mother's house and to my in-laws porch.
They arrived back in Montgomery around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night with a couple of plastic bags of wet clothes - all that they had on was wet also so we did laundry while they showered to get something dry for them to wear. My sorority sisters had also gone shopping and brought them necesities (tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, underwear, tshirts, shorts, combs and brushes and a few other things - those girls are a God send).
They stayed with us until Saturday when DH's stepbrother picked them up to stay with him just outside of Atlanta - he has a bigger house than we do.
Last Thursday - Sept 15th - we drove down there (DH, GF(good friend) and myself) and met MIL and SBIL down there to salvage what we could. We had 2 pickup trucks (one with a cover that fit over the bed and the other open topped.
We were able to get most all of her dishes and cookware. Her dining room table and chairs and kitchen table and chairs are solid oak so we packed them onto the trucks because they looked like they could be cleaned up. A solid oak table from the living room, a few nick-nacks and keepsakes, things that were in the top of closets where the water didn't reach (they had 5'8'' of water at the highest point of the surge). The water was only in the house for about 4 hours but anything vaneered or made with pressed wood was ruined, also anything appolstered.
It was a big soggy smelly mess down there - the photos don't do it justice. I could go on and on but I will stop here. I am just thankful that they are ok. I really feel for the people Texas and Louisiana with Rita - I hope it isn't as bad as Katrina.
After such an upheaval, I don't blame them at all for taking a year before deciding where to go next. Good luck to all of you!
