Posted: Dec 13, 07 7:16pm
I wrote this last night. Mostly to let it out, I just cannot believe it has been more that two years.
Please do not hesitate. This is learning process for me.
August 28th 2005, 6 pm;
All over the news is only Katrina-she is coming, she is big, please leave. -"Who, me?"-No, I am staying. I am tired of running. Every time we come back, even the trashcan is where we left it. It will pass us again; they said it would hit New Orleans.
Billy, my husband, suggests driving to the beach and seeing how high the tides are. This idea is not bad but we take the bikes, need some exercise.
Riding with the wind in our backs is not hard; wind gusts give us some push that takes us to the beach in no time. Looks like will start raining anytime now but is very warm and feels good.
Not too many people left in town and looks like everyone who stayed went to the beach.
Yippee, we have waves here; this glassy water can actually show some emotion-"Yes dear, roaring against us and trying to jump over the wall, I know you are angry but you can’t scare me, I have played with bigger waves in the Black Sea" Yes, the tides are bit up, but nothing bad, we will survive.
On the way back first rain drops fall, like small bullets they hit the ground and pick little clouds of dust. It is so hot that they evaporate and can’t leave a wet spot.
Wind is picking up and here it is; the rain, slapping with his wet hands our faces, as if saying- "Stupid, stupid….didn’t you hear, leave. What are you still doing here?"
We are laughing at it racing against the wind. I am so happy, I feel like nothing on this world can hurt me, challenging the wind and the rain, the storm and Mother Nature.
There is Lori loading her kids in the van with her husband already behind the wheel. Bye…
8:30 pm
News; Katrina makes slide turn right, looks as if we may get some of the outskirts of it…. Oh,no, I am not leaving now. There; the lines of cars on I-59 and 49, people are stuck; looks like the storm will catch them on the road. At least I will spend this night in my own bed.
9 pm Good night, tomorrow will be long day…../I can't even imagine how long/
August 29th 4:30 am
The wind is howling in the trees, something rumbles under the bedroom window. Too noisy to sleep, so I open the bedroom door and there is Prissy /our dog/, she runs in the room and hides under the bed. She is so funny, too big to get under it, she hides only her head and her bottom is outside. I have to take picture, something to laugh tomorrow at work.
Peek through front door. Hmm, the water is high, almost to our neighbor’s front door, but they got water inside their house last time, when we had just some big rain. We are almost five feet higher.
Back yard, let hope this oak is strong enough; I would never imagine this big tree can bent like that.
5:30 am
News; now this is not good. Jim Cantore from the weather channel is in Biloxi. He is always where the eye is expected, this is too close. It is too late to leave now.
-"Hi mom, we are fine, some wind, the rain is not that bad, a lot of water on the street, looks like everyone across the street will get some water, but we are OK. WOW, what was that? No mom everything is fine, just power surge and the TV made some noise. I promise to will call after this mess is gone. Yes mom, we are careful. Love you too"
6 am
Water is coming up too fast, I need to move my car it is too low and may get wet.
Back inside. My son comes from the bathroom. -"Mom, come see this". Bathroom is backing up and the water starts running on the floor. Mopping at six in the morning is no fun.
Done
6:15
-"Mom, the water is coming through the door". Fast, towels, no it keeps coming. Give me your blanket, there, one more.- "Mom, mom, stop ... look" my son points to the back door, the pantry, and the door to the laundry. The water is coming from everywhere. What is that?... A little geyser in the middle of the dining, a water spring from the concrete.
6:30
911
-"Ma'am, I know you can't help us, tell me what we should do. The water is in the house, should we go out or stay inside. Yes ma’am, thanks and pray for us." We are staying inside, her advice- "Do not go outside.
6:45
Water is up to our ankles and we still have power -"Billy, cut the breakers off".
The inside breakers are off but the clock on the stove is still on. Outside breaker, this is 220.He refuses to go outside in this weather.
No time to argue, I open the back door and the water is rushing inside, hugging my legs -"Hi dear, I am here. I made it over the concrete wall." Hurry, my child is inside and there is still power in the outlets. There it is off.
Outside the water is above my knees and coming fast. The fence is gone. Fast close the door. This will slow down the water…may be.
8 am
It is up to our waist. Refrigerator slowly slides under water. The freezer is floating, it has key and we locked it. This will stop the water getting inside and we are able to move it. The woman from 911 said if the water gets too high to go on the attic, but the ladder is outside. My son pushes the freezer down the hallway, under the opening for the attic and puts one chair on the top of it. He is on the attic. The dog, radio and phones, I am next; he pulls me up with him, my strong and brave child. Billy decides to stay down.
9:30 am
The water is up to his chest and he is with us. Here, the three of us and the radio. Small radio I bought yesterday for $ 12, looks like the best investment I have ever made in my life. Listening to the news keeps us away from the feeling of being trapped. The storm is still in the see, it did not landed yet. Some noise…strange… coming from the hallway. The freezer tilted and one of the corners is ripping the wall pushed by the water. My little hero jumps down and straights it up.
After that, I do not remember most of it. The wind is so strong; it feels like there is a helicopter on the roof. Loud thump, something hit the roof. "Please God. Forgive me all my sins. Please save my child. We stayed my fault. Don’t punish him for that." I hope the roof will be strong enough to hold on.
I remember;
Peeping through a small whole, we can see only the top of our neighbors roof everything else is underwater. The ocean came for a visit.
My son praying.
-"Mom, I can swim, but not well enough to help you. I brought this cooler it is locked. If we have to swim, you just hold tide to it."
Praying
1:30 pm
172 miles per hour wind registered in our town.
Praying
Katrina landed
2 pm
The water is going down
3 pm
Visibly the water is almost a two feet lower.
Thank you God.
4 pm
We are down from the attic. The water is rushing out, hugging again my legs good bye.
4:30
Outside; the wind is still very strong but we do not feel it...
Destruction? Devastation?Ruin?
There are no words to describe it.
Oak tree across the road fell over the house, we don’t know if the house is there, we cannot see it. Big piece wood, looks as if it was someone’s house girder, is on the top of Phillips truck, our neighbor on the left, another one under Billy’s truck.
Kirk, from 1406, he survived standing up on his counter tops.-"The water was up to my chin. God bless my wife for choosing the high sealing".
Dead cat under my car… Piles and piles of rubble….Everywhere…
5 pm
Time to turn the phones back on but I cannot connect with anyone in our area code. However, 800 phone numbers are working.- "Mom, mom, we are alive, we lost everything but we are alive. Mom, it was so scary, mom."
Phone is dead.
6 pm
First person to make it to us is a firefighter, walking from door to door and checking who is there…alive.
We hug, crying.
