LaPlaceFF's Katrina experience

[LaPlaceFF]

Many things has happened since the storm:

1) All the food in my fridge in my apartment was spoiled because we were out of power for a week

2) The Wal-Mart where I worked at was closed for a week.

3) My father passed away on the 31st of August. It seems so unreal:one day you are riding with him in my brother's truck looking around town looking at damage and the next you are burying him.

I wanted to write a detailed story of my experiences but it is so hard.

Even though now, after all the debris is cleaned up, it is still crazy here. Gas prices ane skyhigh, businesses are closing early because they are understaffed. Katrina did a number economically here, but as for me, my life will never be the same again

Durel "LaPlaceFF" Millet

[Ixolib]

Many things has happened since the storm:

1) All the food in my fridge in my apartment was spoiled because we were out of power for a week

2) The Wal-Mart where I worked at was closed for a week.

3) My father passed away on the 31st of August. It seems so unreal:one day you are riding with him in my brother's truck looking around town looking at damage and the next you are burying him.

I wanted to write a detailed story of my experiences but it is so hard.

Even though now, after all the debris is cleaned up, it is still crazy here. Gas prices ane skyhigh, businesses are closing early because they are understaffed. Katrina did a number economically here, but as for me, my life will never be the same again

Durel "LaPlaceFF" Millet

Wow, LaPlace - Losing your dad in the midst of everything else is most probably undescrible. I'm sorry for your loss.

You are absolutely right about life being different. No doubt, things on our coast and in your area will never be the same again, and it will be a loooooong time before anything close to normal resumes once again. It's a daily battle just to drive from point a to point b. Yep, thanks to Katrina, life as we "knew" it is forever a thing of the past. But, every day there are opportunites to see small successes. At some point, all of those successes will add up and things will continualy get better. Keep the faith!!

[LAwxrgal]

Unbelievable.

Thanks for sharing your story!

My aunt died on the 4th of September...and the circumstances of her death are still murky. It's still hard, knowing that she was there and now she's gone.

You and Ixolib are totally correct, nothing here resembles normal and won't be for awhile.

[zoeyann]

I am so sorry about your dad. To lose a loved one is always difficult, but I can not imagine how hard it must be for you right now. And even though things are not normal right now, and will never be the same, it will get better. People just can not go through this much and not have it balanced out with something good around the corner.

[arkess7]

so sorry for your loss my husbands dad has been gone 2years ago yesterday and he is still tore up over it........i dont know what its like to lose someone that close to me yet........but i know that it is a part of life and everyone goes through it........take care and stay strong......my thoughts and prayers are with you......

[hurricanesurvivor]

I'm so sorry for your loss! I've had a similar experience- I checked on my grandmother the day after the hurricane when we could finally get there past all the downed trees and power lines, and then we evacuated to Dallas. Since the phones were down here, I wasn't able to have any contact with my family for 2 weeks, and when I finally heard from them, I found out my grandmother had had a minor heart attack the day of the storm but didn't realize it, but then had a major one the day after we left. She had been in the hospital in a coma for the whole time I was in Dallas and I didn't even know about it! She ended up passing away within a few hours of that phone call, and they had to have the funeral very quickly- a graveside service since there was no power to keep bodies at the funeral home for an extended period, or to have services inside. I wasn't able to make it home in time for the funeral, and I have yet to go to her house since we've been home. Somehow I think that if I don't go over there, she's still there and I won't have to face the fact that I won't see her again.

[breeze]

LaPlaceFF, I'm so sorry to hear about your Father. I lost mine,
three years ago, and, it's still hard on me, "Daddy's girl"...
(I was the only girl and the "baby"). One of our family friends
who lives in Florida had to experience her husband's death, during
the series of hurricanes that ravaged Florida, last year. His health
had declined before the hurricanes, but, she still feels like the
stress of dealing with the storms helped to bring on his death.
She feels like the psychological stress just broke him down, physically.

You'll never completely get over it, but, as time passes, you'll
learn to smile and think of the good times. And, you'll always
hear his voice, in your concience, continuing right along to help
you on those "right or wrong" judgment calls.

[LaPlaceFF]

Thank yall for all your kind words and encouragement. Yall are truly great people.

[Windtalker1]

Many things has happened since the storm:

1) All the food in my fridge in my apartment was spoiled because we were out of power for a week

2) The Wal-Mart where I worked at was closed for a week.

3) My father passed away on the 31st of August. It seems so unreal:one day you are riding with him in my brother's truck looking around town looking at damage and the next you are burying him.

I wanted to write a detailed story of my experiences but it is so hard.

Even though now, after all the debris is cleaned up, it is still crazy here. Gas prices ane skyhigh, businesses are closing early because they are understaffed. Katrina did a number economically here, but as for me, my life will never be the same again

Durel "LaPlaceFF" Millet

I am so sorry I missed this Post....must have been during the week I was out of power. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

[LaPlaceFF]

Thanks windtalker

[LaPlaceFF]

Thanks again everyone..

[LaPlaceFF]

It's been about 3 months and it's still hard to believe what is happening here in SELA. People are rebuilding, unemployment is high, and many New Orleaneans are all over the country. The Hornets are playing in Oklahoma City, the Saints are playing in San Antonio. The New Orleans Voodoo, the city's Arena Football League team, took the year off, and many of the VooDoo players are playing for the expansion Kansas City team.
It is amazing what a few hours of Katrina blowing through can do to a region. I wonder if it was like this in Florida.

[Ixolib]

It's been about 3 months and it's still hard to believe what is happening here in SELA. People are rebuilding, unemployment is high, and many New Orleaneans are all over the country. The Hornets are playing in Oklahoma City, the Saints are playing in San Antonio. The New Orleans Voodoo, the city's Arena Football League team, took the year off, and many of the VooDoo players are playing for the expansion Kansas City team.
It is amazing what a few hours of Katrina blowing through can do to a region. I wonder if it was like this in Florida.

I heard dat!! It truly IS amazing what a few hours can do to an entire way of life - both past and future. As for the present, it's a day-by-day thing at best. Uncertanty is now the norm...

One thing hasn't changed, though. The Saints S-T-I-L-L can't get it figured out. Now that's "normalcy" to the max!!

[LaPlaceFF]

My brother in law's and his girlfriend's trailer was destroyed during Katrina. He lived somewhere in Mississippi. They are ok now. They have an apartment in Jefferson, LA now, and he has work helping rebuild.

[LaPlaceFF]

Almost 5 months now and my Wal-Mart still runs on limited hours (7am-10pm). The story here is St. John and St. Charles parishes have put a ban on FEMA trailers, while St. James and the municipalities of Lutcher and Gramercy have allowed FEMA trailers.

I guess we will always hear stories about Katrina such as the Superdome, the Convention Center, the standoff on the Crescent City Connection, how help slowly came to the city, the levee breaks, etc. I know that my life will never be the same again.

[skysummit]

It is quite amazing still. Every morning on 870am is still "Rebuilding New Orleans". I'm in NOLA East, and the 9th ward every couple days. In areas such as those, it's still like the storm just hit 2 days ago rather than 5 months ago. People across the country see downtown NOLA and hear stories of Mardi Gras coming and believe we are all doing fine. They don't see the reality of it anymore.

Southern Terrebonne Parish is also still rebuilding from Rita's storm surge. The Lockport and Larose drawbridges are still damaged from wind blowing their tops off, and blue roofs still fill the skyline. It's crazy to think that in not too long we'll be tracking storms once again.

The only difference this go around is there are NO barrier islands left to protect us, and NO St. Bernard or Plaquemines Parishes left to destroy.

[LaPlaceFF]

It is 6 months since the storm and things aren't still back to normal. The Wal-Mart where I work at closes at 10 pm. I still hear that we still need 150 more people at our store before we can be back to 24 hrs. I also saw in our store newsletter that the New Orleans East and the Chalmette Wal-Marts were considered a total loss. The one in Tchapatolouas(sp) was the one that was looted.

I went to The Olive Garden in Kenner for my wedding anniversary (2/12) and as I was going down Loyola Ave., all down the street I saw FEMA trailers.

I don't know how it was in Florida after the 2004 season, but here it is indescribable. The physical scars are going away, but the emotional ones are still here.

My family is doing okay now. I have 2 brothers that still live at home and they help my mom out.

To everyone here at Storm2k that sent prayers and words of encouragement, I would like to give you my sincere and humble thanks. You all are true friends.

[skysummit]

LaPlace, have you drove on the east side lately, or the ninth ward, or anywhere in St. Bernard Parish? It still looks like Katrina happened last week in those areas. I go to those areas once a week, and I have seen little change.

[stormcrow]

Exactly Sky. I was in Burris last week, they still have a police checkpoint on highway 23. Like St Bernard and 9th ward, they have years of recovery (if ever) ahead.

[LaPlaceFF]

They say Plaquemines Parish (Buras, Boothville, etc), St Bernard Parish, and the Mississippi Gulf coast was COMPLETELY decimated!!!