Katrina One Year Later

The days following August 29, 2006 were difficult ones for the Peak family. As you all know, hurricane Katrina made landfall on the US Gulf Coast early in the morning of August 29. Before Katrina made landfall, there was considerable speculation whether or not New Orleans would take a direct hit, or whether the storm would veer off in one direction or the other. As it turns out, technically speaking, New Orleans wasn't hit directly. However, the center of the storm was still close enough to NOLA (as New Orleans is commonly known) that the city sustained catastrophic damage. As Americans woke up on that Monday morning, the television screens were filled with footage of the devastation that had hit NOLA.

Now here is where the story hits home. My brother Andy has lived in NOLA for several years. I didn't know exactly where he lived, but my dad said that he lived near the French Quarter, the part of NOLA that was least hit by the storm. Even so, as the pictures began to stream on the television, my family began to wonder more and more if Andy was safe. We tried calling--no answer because phone lines were down. We tried emailing--an exercise in futility since the electricity was out. We started constantly watching the TV footage to see if there was any sign of Andy. Had he evacuated? If so, where might he have evacuated to? Had he stayed put in his residence like many others had? And if so, had his place been damaged? As the week progressed, our worries increased. We started checking the numerous web sites that were set-up to help people locate displaced loved ones. I myself would check these sites several times a day with no luck. Our only hope was prayer, and I sent out emails to everyone in my address book to get people praying.

Finally on the evening of Labor Day 2005, one week after the storm hit, my dad called. Andy had called and was safe! He had remained in NOLA when the storm hit, and wasn't able to evacuate until a few days later. He was in Houma, LA. Since his place in NOLA was currently uninhabitable (although not badly damaged), he needed a place to stay for a while. So he flew out to California and stayed with my dad for two months until his place was ready to go. After two months my brother returned to NOLA, and fortunately did not face too much loss in comparison to what countless other people had faced. My brother tells the story in much more detail. To read his complete account, click here.

On this one year anniversary, we give thanks to God for my brother's safe evacuation. We remember the countless people who experienced loss of loved ones and property. We also remember the ongoing recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast.