I arrived about 5 hours ago over here, my annual visit to see my Navy daughter coming back from deployment. She called me yesterday and let me know that the flight has been delayed, so I am here just relaxing.
We decided to drive down Hwy 90 to see how much progress has been made, to my heartache not as much as it should. As I drove past the once beautiful Beauvoir- The Jefferson Davis home, I was so saddened. The devastion is beyond words, yet they are doing a restoration. I was at that home a week before Hurricane Katrina and it was amazing. I loved it, and had planned to revisit. I must confess my last visit here was partly because I love history and partly because of the hauntings. I have read that in the past the apparition of Jefferson Davis would be seen walking in the Gardens, now I could only imagine what he is thinking.
Even more devastating to see is all the concrete steps leading to nothing. All the empty plots where beautiful homes once stood. I did not get to drive down alot of the hwy, but I got the gist. We looked at all the broken piers and one of us would yelled out- isn't that where we were. But this story isn't only about devastation, but how these towns are being reborn. The hotel clerk informed me that not all the rooms had phone service yet, but they were working on it. Last year when I drove past the beaches no one was on them for pleasure, this year in one small part we caught the sight of the big water bikes and the benches on the beach. Life is coming back...and tomorrow I get to see my other baby.
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Comments: 17
You've hit on the real sadness of Katrina...so much of what was destroyed can never replaced.
Amanda, thanks. So much has been destroyed, but the people's spirits have not.
And Amanda - you hit the nail on its head. Our lives pre-Katrina can never be replaced.
Lisa, tornadoes are worse...at least with the hurricanes you can have some notice to get out. Just last week areas that never get them..did.
My daughter was lucky, she suffered no damages. She did see things, as probably most did. She did see some bodies, and I felt so bad for her. Her friends wasn't so lucky, some did lose alot. Her one friend went into labor.
I still have that whole week/weekend playing in my mind- on August 17 I left Gulfport- I headed over to VA for the second week of the trip..watching this storm develop -Aug 19th my sister had died, on Aug 21 my youngest broke her leg - I got home and was getting really scared watching on TV - that Sat I called my daughter and begged her to evacuate- but she was on watch. Sun- she got a last minute notice to leave, but she had no money. I couldn't wire her any since everything closed up and left. Her and a friend took their cars and tried left town, and did not get to a hotel until 3am monday morning. Her friend lent her some cash, but they were broke. All night my nerves were shot, I knew there were chances of tornadoes forming. She came back that Tuesday, and called from someone else's phone...all she said was "mommy it is horrible" I cried. I guess having your sister die, a daughter break her leg and your other child in a terrible storm takes a toll....and for me it is going to be the 2nd anniversary of these events.
But I am really glad your daughter was OK - or as OK as any of us can ever be after Katrina.