"MPHS: Hurricane Katrina, 2005, by Nicollette Williams
From MemoryArchive
Who: Nicollette Williams What: Hurricane Katrina When: August 2005 Where: Mississippi
Hurricane Katrina, the worst storm ever to hit, affected many people including my family and me. When Katrina was in the works, I had just started the eighth grade. I did not really watch the news and when it was on I never paid attention. I found out that there was a hurricane coming first by my teacher and then later by my mother. Before there was a mandatory evacuation, we had already decided to stay and so we stacked up on water, canned foods, flashlights, battery operated fans, and other things needed for a hurricane. Then the news said there was a mandatory evacuation.
My mother knew there was no way we would be able to evacuate because she has seven children and seven grandchildren and a son-in-law that she would not be able to take the three children that lives with her and evacuate and not know if they would be safe or not. We thought about just going to my grandfather's house but my mother knew that he wouldn't want all of us in one place in case something bad happened and we wouldn't be safe. We ended up staying at our house. My oldest sister, who lived in an apartment, and her four children, and another one of my sisters and her child came to stay at my mother's house. We were ready for the storm.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit. We all were sleep on the floor or couches in the living room. The electricity had long since went out and it was hot. We had fans and other things to keep us cool through the night. My sister was the only one having problems sleeping since she had a 3 month old baby. When we all awoke early and the storm was still going on, we just ate some food and sat around.
All of a sudden we heard a bump. My brother and I ran to the back to see what it was. Our bathroom window had been blown in and was in the tub. We were still safe and everything. Later we heard another big bump, and again my brother, my sister and I went to see what it was. This time it was my sister's roof that had fallen in and a part of the bathroom roof fell in, too. My sister was a little upset but we all were just happy that it wasn't as bad as it could've been.
Our house did not flood, thankfully, and the damage that was done to it was fixable. We were safe in a house full of prayers. After the hurricane people started to worry mainly about water and food and air. Helicopters would fly over my house to get to Kreole and drop off water. Blue Cross vans would come down my street passing out plates of food. MRE's were the most common meals.
After about a week, our electricity was still not on and we had about five children under the age of 5 in our house that needed air and other things. Two of my sisters, the 5 children, and me headed out to Natchez. We were suppose to stay at my sister's aunt's house but when we got there her electricity was not on and she only had a generator so the next morning we went to another aunt's house. We stayed there for 2 weeks. When we came back, things were just getting back to normal. Our life was getting to be the same and we were thankful. The hurricane brought us all closer to one another.
