Katrina's Wrath

I have been lying all day watching the most horrific catastrophe before my eyes due to a natural disaster, a killer monster from the sea, the worst I have ever witnessed other than watching the Tsunami at Christmas. Asking myself how on earth can I write my thoughts and feelings about this, where will the words come from to express what my heart is feeling inside and my body from the hair lifting from my arms and neck, not to mention the chills and the tears in my eyes. For every person, family, relative or friend of any one of the victims of this hell on earth, you all are in our thoughts and prayers. I feel so helpless and not quite sure yet how I can help or what we as a family can do for these people. Victims and survivors are what they are; I have difficulties with the word refugees for some reason. From spending numerous times and living in different areas from New Orleans to Gulf Shores, I know this area as if it was my backyard or the back of my hand. Each time I see a reporter I have been in that exact spot or know exactly where they are standing. I recognize what is left or what was there before Katrina, but what is worst is seeing these people wonder around with no place to go, no water or food, hot sun without shade, and no help but it is on its way but when? Most all of us have no idea what this feeling would be like. I know personally that the majority of these people are poor and what little they had was all they owned. You see some carrying garbage bags, with what? What could they have that has not already been taken from them? I hear and see children hungry and a baby already died earlier on the freeway making it to high ground there are thousands of them – small children, babies, elders, the sick, the injured the list continues with each person being a human being and suffering while the rest of us watch in total shock.
My knowledge of Mobile to Louisiana has always had low lands and swamps, so the ground holds water everywhere even when it rains, not just the city of N.O. being below sea level. I feel many people aside from the N.O. area, felt safe a few miles away from the water surge along MS and AL, but when a hurricane reaches winds higher than a 3 category you know it is going to be catastrophic and you have to get far far away from in a direction that it will not be on your back side following you. But what do they do when someone has no money for gas, motel expenses, and survival money once they escape. Most of these people live from paycheck to paycheck, and some less than that. They weigh out to stay behind in hopes of making their payments that week, stay with friends praying the storm turns or last resort a shelter for overnight until it passes. Many of us have pets, well they are not allowed in these places. Financially I have had times in my life raising two children alone where I have been up and I have been down. There were times in my past of having no option with a storm coming in; you make a decision sometimes based on what you can do with what you have.
I know that help is truly on its way, but for ones that are not updated on this terrible situation, people have no food, water, cell phone usage, radio, and no form of communication for alerts or announcements of where to go and what to do next. They are wading through sewage, most are injured from the journey after the traumatic experience they went through where ever they were at during the hurricane, and now for some that have reached high ground they only find others confused and desperate with nothing left except for what they can hold or wear.
I could write on and on about this with more details and feelings that our family feel, but it is way too overwhelming to pick or select one story or another to tell. This is life and death with very little time left. Rescue is doing the best they can, but the dead is everywhere.
I am NOT seeking a response to my feelings, but I AM interested in each of your feelings concerning this tragic most awful disaster in our country of our people. Be neighborly, a giver, make a call, we all must do something big or small. I am considering a donation to a Church based organization and my daughter is so upset she wants to leave and volunteer. She knows right now that would be so difficult with her help of others around here and starting back college in a couple weeks and her employment obligations, but one thing is for sure we all desire to help in every way we can. For anyone out there that still has people missing as our family does, please let us know, we truly do care. Excuse me right now for no sense of humor or desire to comment at places where I just do not have it in me.

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