Remembering Katrina

Four years ago today we were waiting and watching...in Shreveport, La. That is where we stayed for the next 3 1/2 weeks until our power was back on. Our phone/cable/internet was out until after Christmas. Caleb was 1 1/2, Eli was 6 months, and food for thought...Micah was born May 29th, 2006 (do the math).
And this is what we came home to:

Our sweet little rental house was spared. We lived in a heavily wooded area near a river. We were surround by HUGE trees and a ton of them fell. Not one on the house though. Between Caleb and I there was a huge transformer.We lived across the street from St. Tammany Parish Hospital and were on their electric grid. So we were to be one of the first grids powered up. When they lit us up our house caught fire because some lines had crossed during the storm. Fortunately, someone saw it and they powered us down. We were then put at the end of the "power list" as an individual house.

Our shed was not spared. But honestly this is what about 1/2 of the HOUSES in Covington looked like including Jordan's grandparent's. Our shed had 3 trees on it.

In New Orleans this is what most houses looked like if not MUCH, MUCH worse. This house shows the water line and has been pushed into the house next door.

This house was very close to a levy breach and has water line too . The writing means: Not evacuated, 9/? (the date they inspected it), and 0 (the number of dead found). Notice the tree?

St. Tammany parish was changed forever receiving 70, 000 new people. Infrastructure/ construction is still being done now to accommodate. New Orleans will never be the same but much of it is coming back. So, today we are remembering Katrina.