My family and I live in South MS, about one and a half hours from the Gulf Coast. We live on a dead end county road with about 14 houses. All of our houses were surrounded by beautiful pine and oak trees. On Aug. 29, 2005, our landscape changed. Standing at our French doors watching all the trees fall to the ground is an experience that I will never forget. When the winds died down, we and our neighbors began to gather in front yards and walk up and down the road (there was no way a car could get out of our driveways). As horrible as it was, we were safe. A few of the homes had trees on the roofs and storage buildings and barns were a thing of the past. Shortly after, the men began work on clearing a pass down the road. By the next morning we could get out of our little neighborhood. We decided to try to get to my dad's. As we traveled the 10 miles to my father's home, we found that neighbors were helping neighbors and strangers were helping strangers. We found my father safe and his house OK. He would not leave his house. By Tuesday night, we were lucky to have a generator. One of our good friends is the head of one of the local chicken companys and people that work for his company in Ala. were able to get three generators to Laurel. That is the best $1000 WE had ever spent. Life slowly moved on. By Wed. my husband who works in the engineering department of a local company that builds transformers was working long hours. After three weeks, we returned to school ( I teach at a local high school). Blue roofs are now the norm around here, FEMA is considered a dirty word, everyone waits to hear from their insurance adjuster, but we have survived.
What did Katrina teach me? Katrina taught me many things but most of all that people care! Everyone I know shared what they had with others. We helped each other. On Thursday of that week, my husband and I left Laurel to go to Meridian to get cash for ourselves and several of our friends. (I will have several hundred dollars in cash if we are ever hit by another hurricane.) On the way there we passed a line of power trucks heading south. It was the only time I cried. I knew then that we were not alone. The rest of the country did care and they would help. And help you have!! Churches and other organizations from many states have come to our small town to help in any way they could. People have given their time and money to help this part of the country. Your prays have lifted us up and given us strength-during and after the storm. So thank you for what you and this great country has done to help us overcome Katrina. It will be years before thing are as they once were. I will miss my trees, but new ones will grow, and as they grow I will remember all the kindness and goodness that has been shown to us during this time.
Thank you,
Martha
What did Katrina teach me? Katrina taught me many things but most of all that people care! Everyone I know shared what they had with others. We helped each other. On Thursday of that week, my husband and I left Laurel to go to Meridian to get cash for ourselves and several of our friends. (I will have several hundred dollars in cash if we are ever hit by another hurricane.) On the way there we passed a line of power trucks heading south. It was the only time I cried. I knew then that we were not alone. The rest of the country did care and they would help. And help you have!! Churches and other organizations from many states have come to our small town to help in any way they could. People have given their time and money to help this part of the country. Your prays have lifted us up and given us strength-during and after the storm. So thank you for what you and this great country has done to help us overcome Katrina. It will be years before thing are as they once were. I will miss my trees, but new ones will grow, and as they grow I will remember all the kindness and goodness that has been shown to us during this time.
Thank you,
Martha
to everyone!
