Katrina - A Personal History
On Monday August 29, 2005 our lives were forever changed by Hurricane Katrina.
There were 8 of us most of the time: Chuck & Janis Rogers, our sons Cary, Adam, and Jarret, Cary's girlfriend (now wife) Andrea, Adam's girlfriend Megan (now ex-girlfriend) and Barry Franklin. We spent six weeks like gypsies, roaming the country from place to place. We had no shortage of friends and family who wanted to take care of us. Upon returning to New Orleans, here is what we found:
- The home Chuck & Janis live in was not looted or flooded, and had very little wind damage. Upon returning to the house on 10/3/05, Chuck found it had electricity, gas, good water, phones, cable TV, and Internet. Inside the house, it was as if nothing had happened, except for a refrigerator that spent over a month without electricity. (It was taken out to the curb almost immediately.)
- Cary's home was severely damaged. He lived in a ground floor apartment in mid-city that was flooded. His belongings spent 10 days submerged in 3-4 feet of water. We magaged to salvage some things from cabinets and closet shelves that were above the flood waters, some clothing, and some pictures that were on the wall.
- Adam's home received no flooding or looting, and minor damage due to wind. A tree blew down and knocked down a fence in his back yard. There was some roof damage that caused some minor mold to grow on the living room ceiling and one wall.
We were extremely lucky.
Originally, this site provided a place where our friends and family could keep of us and all those we cared about who also had to leave the city. We all started at this place called New Orleans. But Katrina scattered us like the seeds of a dandelion to all four corners of the country. Some even further.
For those who were tracked on this site, it has become something else. It is a place where our own personal history of this event can be replayed for as a reminder of what we went through, or to help those we have yet to meet understand. No words can describe the feeling of helplessness one feels when seperated from a loved one, or the longing to just be home in your own bed. But perhaps this sitecan offer a glimpse into what it was like when "the Big One" hit New Orleans.