Conversation with a Katrina survivor...

[MGC]

I am letting a young couple with a couple of kids stay in my house in Diamondhead. Today, I sat down with them and the husband told me his survival story.

Like many in Hancock County, he decided to ride out Katrina. His wife however was smart enough to leave with the kids. His plan was to ride out Katrina in a home that didn't flood during Camille. He went over to an friend who had recently had surgery and needed help. The friend parents owned the home on Coleman Avenue during Camille and the home stood up well against Camille's force. They concluded that the home would again be safe to ride out the hurricane, like many Hancock County residents that survived Camille. He said things were going fine until the first wave of the surge came in. He explained that the water came up to about one foot deep within a couple of minutes. At that point they decided to leave. They jumped into their van and got nearly to the railroad tracks, driving through the flooded street. To their surprise, their escape path was cutoff due to trees down across the road. They abandoned the van and were walking toward the railroad tracks when the second surge caught up with them. The force of the current was such that neither of them could stand. They were carried by the current to the railroad tracks which at the time was acting as a levee. They managed to crawl up the track embankment and get to the dry side of the railroad tracks. They made their way to a nearby home and kicked the door in. He then told me that they were in the house just a short while until water started to enter the house. They looked out the window and water was spilling over the railroad tracks like rapids on a mountain river. It was the third surge wave and the biggest. The water rapidly rose and they managed to crawl up into the attic. The water rose to nearly the ceiling of the house they were in. He said both made peace with the Lord as they expected to drown in the attic. Luckily, the water stopped short of the attic. After what he said seem like eternity, the water started to recede. He said both felt fortunate to be alive.


I've talked with many Katrina survivors, many of whom were chased into their attics. I've also been talked with many people who discovered the dead or injured and it has only reinforced my opinion that the only sure bet to survive a major hurricane is to get out of its way. Had it been me in their situation I'm certain I'd be dead.......MGC

[CajunMama]

mgc, that story just gave me the chills. What the coastal people had to endure is still just unbelievable. You are so right when you say the only way to survive a major hurricane it to get out of its way.

[gtalum]

I can think of few things scarier than being stuck in an attic hoping the surge goes no higher.

[Jim Cantore]

Unreal

[CajunMama]

I can think of few things scarier than being stuck in an attic hoping the surge goes no higher.

Why do you even post comments like that? Totally unneccessary.

[HurryKane]

I can think of few things scarier than being stuck in an attic hoping the surge goes no higher.

Why do you even post comments like that? Totally unneccessary.

I think you read it wrong (I did the first time, too). He basically said he can't think of much of anything that is scarier than being stuck in an attic with rising surge.

He said: "I can think of few things"

What I and probably you read: "I can think of a few things"


One little word makes a lot of difference

[CajunMama]

Ahhhh, i think you're correct hurryKane. I apologize gtalum.

[Lindaloo]

I tell ya, people are not complacent around these parts anymore, including my head strong parents. I NEVER EVER want to experience anything like that again!!

I had to re-read gtalum's post too twice before I got it. I am glad I did before I replied. And in reply to ya gtalum, you are SOOOO right.

[Ixolib]

I tell ya, people are not complacent around these parts anymore, including my head strong parents. I NEVER EVER want to experience anything like that again!!

I had to re-read gtalum's post too twice before I got it. I am glad I did before I replied. And in reply to ya gtalum, you are SOOOO right.

Amen to that.

[gtalum]

Perhaps I chose poor wording for my post. Anyway, being stuck in that guy's situation is right up there with the worst things I can think of.

[zoeyann]

That is absolutley terrefieing. Before Katrina I remember them saying on the radio to bring an ax into the attic. I was telling this to my mom who told me it was because of the people who drowned in their attics during Besty. She said that as the water came up people fled to their attics and by the time they realized the water was going to top the roof there was no way out. I was visualizing this as she explained it, and imagining the panic I would feel in that situation. I still don't think I totally got it until hearing it from people who just lived it for Katrina. I NEVER want to know that kind of fear. I will ALWAYS leave. After seeing the images and hearing stories like these from Katrina, I hope others are convinced as well.

[HurricaneJim]

Lord knows we went after thousands on rooftops and attics in NOLA. Flying there we saw what was left of MS. Still the most flabergasting thing I have ever witnessed and I'm a war correspondent.

It was so off my charts, I went and did a book about it.



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[bevgo]

I visited a lady that told me when the water got too high in their home they decided to go to the boathouse and stay in the boat. She was terrified the boathouse wad going to colapse on them. It would have been better for the boat house to have been destroyed probably as they were trapped in there for 3 days by debris with no food or water. Neighbors finally found and rescued them. Heartbreaking.

Then there was the man who had 4 ft water in his home and he and his wife clung to each other praying for survival. The wife is only 5 ft tall and unable to climb upon anything.

And of course the man who was afraid his mobile home would not survive the wind (it didn't) and decided to shelter in his truck. He had to swim out surrounded by snakes and red ants. He said he was just surprised the snakes did not bite.

Oh the stories I have heard.

[Dionne]

Yesterday we were on the gulf coast. Basically checking out our next projects. We had been working the northern most disaster counties. We were able to travel on highway 90 from Gulfport to Biloxi. I have viewed all the damage online and from satelites. What we saw in person was completely unexpected. We had previously been told that the train tracks had acted as a levee..........WRONG!! We saw 2 structures that seemed to ride the storm out fairly well.....meaning they will not have to be demolished.....the lighthouse and the coliseum. Interesting that both are circular in design. There remain areas without power. We saw raw sewage being pumped onto the beach. Debris is everywhere. There are For Sale signs all along the beachfront on highway 90. Numerous signs painted on buildings....."you loot....we shoot". We saw people still living in tents. Not workers living in tents......but residents that lost their entire home. We have abandoned our plans to pursue any work on the gulf coast. The current demolition crews have a long way to go. We saw 2 restaurants open.....a McDonalds and a Sonic..........both had loooong lines. There isn't any lodging available. Alot of the live oaks survived.....you cannot imagine the things we saw still hanging in the trees. I now know why so many residents of that region do not plan to return.

[MSRobi911]

Every day another house "shell" is torn down, now around my neighborhood the houses are very very few and far between. For those of you familiar with Pascagoula when I was coming home from Mass this afternoon they were picking up the debris of what was once Gulf Coast Save Rex Drugs on the corner of Market Street and Ingall's Ave. That broke my heart! I know they had planned to demolish it long before the storm came so they could build a newer modern building, but I have fond memories of sitting at the counter and eating a nice hot lunch or drinking a cherry-coke, like up at Burnaham's Drugs in Moss Point where I grew up. Its sad. Now when you come down Bel Air Street all the way to the end to Washington Ave. when you look to your left, you can see all the way to Oliver Street, not a house in sight! That is just heart breaking to me. Every day, its another land mark or a house that you remember or a place that you had been to visit....its just so sad.

But, on one note, I guess it means we are "recovering"! Tell me another one, while we still wait on the City Council to make a decision on how high we have to build our houses. They think they are going to get FEMA to change their minds on how high they have to be....go figure.

Mary

[HurryKane]

We saw 2 restaurants open.....a McDonalds and a Sonic..........both had loooong lines.

There are a good number of restaurants open in Gulfport once you're north of or on Pass Road. Things are opening up slowly in Bay St. Louis, too.

You're right about hotels though; people who have come to visit my workplace (in the western part of the MS Gulf Coast) have had to get hotel rooms in Mobile.

[Javlin]

We saw 2 restaurants open.....a McDonalds and a Sonic..........both had loooong lines.

There are a good number of restaurants open in Gulfport once you're north of or on Pass Road. Things are opening up slowly in Bay St. Louis, too.

You're right about hotels though; people who have come to visit my workplace (in the western part of the MS Gulf Coast) have had to get hotel rooms in Mobile.

You're right really quite a few restruants open up on 49 nad D'Iberville.It was nice this pass week went out to dinner twice music to the ears people laughing.Preserverence goes along way.

[Lindaloo]

Every day another house "shell" is torn down, now around my neighborhood the houses are very very few and far between. For those of you familiar with Pascagoula when I was coming home from Mass this afternoon they were picking up the debris of what was once Gulf Coast Save Rex Drugs on the corner of Market Street and Ingall's Ave. That broke my heart! I know they had planned to demolish it long before the storm came so they could build a newer modern building, but I have fond memories of sitting at the counter and eating a nice hot lunch or drinking a cherry-coke, like up at Burnaham's Drugs in Moss Point where I grew up. Its sad. Now when you come down Bel Air Street all the way to the end to Washington Ave. when you look to your left, you can see all the way to Oliver Street, not a house in sight! That is just heart breaking to me. Every day, its another land mark or a house that you remember or a place that you had been to visit....its just so sad.

But, on one note, I guess it means we are "recovering"! Tell me another one, while we still wait on the City Council to make a decision on how high we have to build our houses. They think they are going to get FEMA to change their minds on how high they have to be....go figure.

Mary

I saw that. It was sad enough to have to see it tore up everyday! When I go by my cousin's flooded home that area freaks me out too. You can see all the way to the beach from where her house is!

I know the people at the end of 11th street went higher. And their home was washed to Seneca Ave. They need to go higher than that. The Fortenberry's home was high too and it was washed away.