Hurricane Katrina... One year ago

One year ago today we were holed up in the Navy lodge on base in Meridian MS. The power had been out for hours by now(that meant No airconditioning or cell phones either) and it was about this time that we were standing out on the balcony playing in the rain that was coming from all directions and watching the trees surrounding the parking lot snap like toothpicks. One year ago today Katrina left her mark and so much devistation in her path. It is great to see that some of the areas around here are recovering nicely, but there is still so much left un touched. The dynamics of this area have forever changed. The bulk of New Orleans and surrounding area's is still very much a ghost town. Houses still sit with roofs off, windows busted, and mold all over them. There are thousands of abandoned cars that were flooded out still sitting along the streets. (Afterall something like 80% of the city was underwater.) A Fema trailer scattered here or there is about as much life that these areas contain. People from some of these areas still come all the way to the northshore to do their grocery shopping. And to think that we made it out virtually untouched. Whats a few missing shingles when our neighbors had trees through their houses and cars? I am so thankful for the immediate neighborhood that we live in as we did not suffer any flooding. I am also thankful that we had a place to evacuate to. Even if our evacuation point was in her path, it was not nearly the super storm that it was as it passed through south east Louisiana and the Mississippi gulf coast. On this one year anniversary I ask you all to keep the people of the entire gulf coast region in your thoughts and prayers as this is the time of year when hurricanes are an imminent threat. And Katrina has shown us how real the threat can be.