Katrina memories as I watch Irene coverage

This Saturday night I find myself drawn to the various television coverage of Hurricane Irene.  Such a large and populated area being affected; I am happy that Irene is not more intense.

On a Saturday night six years ago my family and I were still hunkered down as Katrina drew closer.  By this time six years ago the New Orleans city area, along with many of the parishes south of Lake Pontchartrain, were in full evacuation mode.  In this neck of the woods it was a 50/50 split.  We hoped to hang in there and probably would have until the reports broke early Sunday morning that Katrina could be a category 5.

We did wake early Sunday and decided we would go.  Preparations not done since we had planned to stay were required so it would be past noon on Sunday, August 29th before we left.  Arrogantly, I packed one very casual change of clothes.  We pulled in a caravan of three cars headed for northern Alabama where I managed a room reservation in Cullman, not far from EWTN country.  And we heard from friends in the area as we traveled and convinced them to come and stay in Cullman, and they did.

As we settled in the hotel it was clear; almost 100% of those renting a room had fled the storm.  As we awoke on Monday morning and began watching the reports on TV, it was evident that I would need more clothes.  And by Monday evening, as we moved on toward North Carolina to stay with our son, we learned of the devastating flooding from the floodwall breach in New Orleans.  I was able to find out that our area was hign and dry, but moving around St. Tammany parish would be impossible for about a week because of the massive amount of downed trees.

In fact, it would not be until Friday, September 2nd before we starting back south and late Saturday afternoon before we arrived home.  The landscape was changed forever, although we have bounced back nicely.  The most amazing part was how my wife, daughter and I managed to live in our home until about September 25th without electricity.

So as I watch coverage of what the good people of N.Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and all of New England are enduring tonight, I pray and I remember.

May God watch over us always, in all times and all weather.