Finally back after Katrina

[Genequte]

I live in Gulfport,MS and have been a member for only a short time, but have read posts here for quite a while. The posts helped my family and I prepare for the storm, but as a lifelong resident of the coast and survivor of Camille and Elena, I was smug in my belief of riding out the storm. I was wrong, almost dead wrong. My home is three miles from the coast and we are not in a flood zone, but at 0945, my home began to take on water. Within 30 minutes the water was chest high. We abandoned our home and swam to a neighbor's boat and road out the hurricane for the next six hours. We were both pelted with debris and both of us started going in to shock from the force of the wind and the constant beating down of rain. We survived, bruised and battered, and everyone of our animals survived. I learned a valuable lesson that day. While I had always used Camille as the standard of the worst hurricane when I watched hurricanes come ashore, I forgot that mother nature dictates her own standards and any hurricane can be a killer. If anyone is thinking of staying for a hurricane after the evacuation order is given, don't. For while you my find that later you were wrong for staying, it shouldn't cost you your life to make this discovery. God bless all of the rescue and relief workers and all the volunteers that have arrived to help. I pray that the rest of the hurricane season is full of fishes.

[caribepr]

Glad you survived and glad you learned.
Why do we (yep, me VERY included!) so often take the hardest roads to learn the most important lessons?
As with all the members here (and the thousands of others) who went through their own private hells and survived Katrina, I wish you well on the way back to a *normal* life.

[beachbum_al]

Glad to hear that you survived. I have heard from several survivors that this storm took many by surprise.

[Anonymous]

My coworkers and I were in Gulfport, Bay St Louis and (mostly) Pascagoula. I am so sorry for what happened there. We were happy to play a small part in helping all of you out.

The people of MS were the friendliest, most hospitable people I have ever met. It was a pleasure meeting all of you, I only wish it had been in happier conditions.

When my father passed away in Gulfport in May, I spent 2 weeks there. I swore I would repay the kindness showed me someday. When I returned for Hurricane Katrina, the people there showed me as much kindness as they had the last time. It is a pleasure knowing people like you.

Good luck to you all.

[Stephanie]

I'm glad that you did survive Katrina, along with your family, neighbor and animals. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

I think that everyone down there used Camille as the benchmark as the worst hurricane to hit that area. Hopefully, Katrina's legacy will never be outdone!

[Lori]

What a heck of a first post. So happy you survived and your animals too.
You were smart to go for your neighbors boat. I Thank God you made it!!!
May God bless you, heal you, comfort you, and strengthen you as you recover.

Lori

[breeze]

Genequte, thank you for posting your experience. I hope that you
and your's are able to find peace and comfort, again, very soon!