Returning Home: A Journey Back to New Orleans Post-Katrina

This past weekend, I embarked on a journey back to New Orleans, my first visit since evacuating for Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The trip was spontaneous, prompted by a high school friend's birthday celebration. The irony was not lost on me that as I was in New Orleans, my current home in the Tampa Bay area was bracing for Tropical Storm Debby, delaying my return by a day.?

My father and I had returned to New Orleans nine days after the storm greeted by men with machine guns because we were violating curfew. The home I lived in had five feet of water during the storm and all that remained was a sludge inches deep on the floor. My cats that were left behind were traumatized forever. ?

Driving through the city the next day felt like navigating a war zone. Houses had been removed from their foundations and moved down the street. ?It killed a part of my soul. ?It made me resent the people in power that allowed this to happen.?

I briefly visited New Orleans in 2007 after my mom died to handle some probate issues. It was during this visit that I learned of the coding system used to show where the dead bodies were found. It was a chilling reminder of the human toll of Katrina.?

In the week leading up to my current visit, I was gripped by a sense of panic. Memories of post-Katrina life flooded my mind. It was a stressful time, too overwhelming to encapsulate in a LinkedIn article. I found myself questioning, can you really go back home??

Despite my father's advice to avoid revisiting old childhood places, I rented a car upon my arrival and drove to the Westbank. As I navigated through parts of town that had haunted my nightmares for years, I realized my panic was justified.?

I was overcome with emotion. The sight of so much destruction, of homes torn down or left to rot because no one returned, was heart-wrenching. It felt like I was in a post-apocalyptic world. How could this happen to a city that was my home for nearly 18 years??

Yet, amidst the devastation, there were moments of joy. I met my best friend from high school for lunch with her daughter. We laughed and shared stories as if not a day had passed. A piece of mine that had been lost returned. It was healing, yet also painful.?

She recommended that I not venture out to the east side of the city, where the scars of Katrina were still visible, including the haunting "x"'s that marked homes with bodies inside. ?It was greed that allowed this part of New Orleans to be developed, knowing that total devastation would be inevitable in a storm such as Katrina.?We got what we knew was coming

That night, when I arrived at my friend's birthday party, her expression upon seeing me was unforgettable. Months before, she had found me on Facebook. She told me they had been looking for me for years. Seeing me in real life was like a scene from a movie.?

The next day, we played tourist. We ate our way through the city. I remembered how much I missed the cooking in NOLA. So much time had passed, yet there wasn't a second that wasn't filled with memories and stories of the 20 years we had been apart. Another piece of me returned. But it was bittersweet because I learned of the horror, she and her family experienced following Katrina.?

Instead of leaving on a bitter note, I my flight back to Tampa had been canceled and I got one more day with my childhood friend. We got snowballs to celebrate, a treat I have missed since I left. The sun was going down and it almost felt normal for a while.?

The next day, her daughter and I hung out while she went to work. We got to drive around a little more. I got to hear her stories. She was born several years after Katrina. When she spoke, she told tales of a typical teenager. I couldn't help but be comforted by this fact. ?

We decided to stop at one of the famous New Orleans cemeteries. Memories of Katrina showed up there too. Headstones knocked over. Homeless people bathing in the waterspouts. It was a reminder that life in New Orleans had been changed forever.?

Both friends have extended families in New Orleans, many lived in the same houses as before Katrina. I was in awe of the fierce loyalty to the city that has long past its best days. Hearing about what occurred following?Katrina and the years following left my heart heavy and melancholy. I bought a book with pictures of New Orleans then and now because I wanted to remember the city in its glory days. I was told to get another book by Chris Rose, One Dead in the Attic. I will soon be watching the eight-part series Five Days at Memorial.?

I share this to say, we live the lives we are given. Our job as people, as parents, is to make the best of it. Darkness had fallen over New Orleans, but bright rays of light shone through in the most beautiful ways. The turmoil I had felt leading up to this visit and while driving through my past, softened. I now understand the power of family and the power of friendship that becomes family.?

The perspective I received changed me. I will no longer take a day for granted because the next one is not guaranteed. I will remind my kids not to sweat the small stuff. I will parent my children differently because out of nowhere my priorities shifted. I realized I was no longer focused on surviving. I was given the gift of learning how to thrive again.

I am excited to be able to share my evolution with my LinkedIn network so that when someone else, who has their life turned upside down overnight, might find comfort in hearing about what happened 19 years after Katrina. With the anniversary of this storm coming up, I want to remind you of the families still in need there.

If you find it in your heart to do something to improve your community because of this tale, I know my words were not in vain.?

Don't forget to be the change you want to see in the world. Be kind to strangers because you have no idea what they have been through. Don't settle for the life you're living, fight for the life you want. ?

You can go home again, but it may not be the home you remember. It may be a home that has been changed forever, just as you have been changed forever. But in the end, home is not just a place, it's the people, the memories, and the love that make it home. And that is something that no storm can ever take away.?

Big hug to everyone. I love you.?

Source:

Families Scattered by Hurricane Katrina Still Making Their Way Home ?

1 Dead in Attic: Post-Katrina Stories by Chris Rose | Goodreads ?

Five Days at Memorial (TV Mini Series 2022) - IMDb ?

Hurricane Katrina ? Facts, Affected Areas & Lives Lost ?

These Maps Show the Severe Impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans ... ?

Hurricane Katrina | Deaths, Damage, & Facts | Britannica ?

Hurricane Katrina | American Experience | Official Site | PBS ?

Hurricane Katrina - Aftermath, Destruction, Recovery | Britannica ?

Hurricane Katrina: Survivors on the Storm's Impact - People.com ?