Hurricane Katrina: The Calm After the Storm

I took my trash out this morning. Nothing too odd about that. Most Americans who live in populated areas take their trash out at least twice a week. But, I haven't had to take my trash out since Aug 25th. That was a Thursday. Trash days are Tuesdays and Thursdays in my neighborhood.

As I watched the news during that week I knew a storm was headed to my place of birth - New Orleans, Louisiana. A storm headed that way wasn't unusual. Heck, I remembered fragments of Camille. Actually, I remembered my mother explaining to me that our car was not a pool and "No! You cannot swim in it." In the eyes of a four year old, a big red convertible filled with water "Was too" a pool.

This storm was different. What struck me as odd was the fear I was hearing from my relatives who lived there. I called my aunt Marie to see how she and my Aunt Mary Helen were doing. I hadn't talked with either in a while. I had just gotten their new numbers from a cousin who had spoken with Marie earlier that day. I asked if she would be leaving since the storm had been projected to be a category 5. "Naw baby", she said in that well know Nawlin's drawl. "I'm gonna stick it out." I sit here writing this on this September 28th morning, still hoping to here from them. Their names have been added to the countless names of relatives and friends who either chose to stay or could not afford to leave - - still missing.

As the storm picked up momentum going from a CAT 2 to a CAT 3, I received a call from Lafayette Louisiana. It was my sister. "We're headed your way." That's when I knew I needed to pay closer attention to the news; realizing this was no ordinary storm. My folks had ridden out Camille and Betsy; this was serious.

I didn't know what to say, but, they were headed this way.

"How many are with you?" I asked. "47", she giggled. My sisters and I have the strangest senses of human. "Can you handle that", she laughed really hard.

"Come on!" was my response. "I love a challenge."