Our place in Pass Christian was the ONLY house standing on that street. Seeing the damage for the first time (When they let us in) was undiscribeable!
Even though the house was still intact we had to strip it to a shell and re-finish it. It ONLY got three feet of water. (On the second floor) It is right at five feet off the ground too. We figure there must have been close to 15 foot of surge there.
Refinished it and sold it after having it for over 25 years. (We built it from the ground up)
I was in both areas (MS coast and New Orleans) after the storm. The biggest differance was the folks on the coast were WORKING to recover. Folks in N.O. were sittin on thier a$$es.
I spent a many a night in the camper parked near the house there before any services were available while working on it. It was erie how quiet it was at night. (Other than a generator here and there running, as mine in the camper was) But druing the daytime all you heard was sounds of folks working.
I took Cathy over in August for our "Anniversary trip" we make by ourselves every year. It was the first time she saw anything other than right around the house. I had told her how much damage I had seen, but she still found all the damage still visible hard to swallow.
The coast will rebuild and rebound because the folks there will WORK to make it so.
I have a bunch from when I worked with Seatow after the storm in New Orleans, Slidell, Mandeville, Chalmette and Ms. I will try and get an album together.
Man do I feel for the people of that area. It's been 2 years and it's amazing how the Federal Gov and the insurance companies have'nt done shit to help some of these people out.
I have been there for 3 weeks now and it's amazing how much devastation still exist.
Lived thru Betsy and Camille in New Orleans and Pass Christian many years ago, and
Katrina parked the large barge on the levee behind the school in Buras which use to be my familys' dock on the river. Living in New Mexico is better in this regard, very nice weather for the most part. I don't miss the storms but do miss the open water.
couple katrina pics
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