On this eighth anniversary of the deadliest and most destructive hurricane in America’s history, Hurricane Katrina survivor Jennifer* shares her story of devastating loss. She might have lost almost every material thing in the storm, but she gained a closer relationship with God.

*Her real name is used with permission.

 

 

Dreams Come True

Writing and being awarded an educational grant for the STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) program at her school, Jennifer earned the attention of NASA. Yes, NASA. In 2003, she landed her dream job: an Aerospace Education Specialist at NASA. Her office was at the NASA Stennis Space Center. Jennifer, her husband, and their young son moved into their dream home in Diamond Head, Mississippi, which is 58 miles east of New Orleans. She had her dream job and her dream house – life just couldn’t have been better. Jennifer remembers having the thought of ‘this is not permanent’ while cleaning her home just months prior to Hurricane Katrina. A recurring dream of being in a bathtub with her son and flying around in it seemed odd at the time, but later it would make perfect sense.

Evacuation – Real or Not?

The local news was filled with forecasts of a potential storm the week prior to what would be called Hurricane Katrina. Three days before it hit, her boss at NASA said, “This is going to be a nice hurricane, so cover your computers and go home. See you on Monday.” Jennifer and all the other Gulf Coast residents watched the news, waiting to see if they would be asked to evacuate again. Enduring hours of gridlock traffic and no where to stay had worn thin after three evacuations that turned out to be false alarms. The residents of Louisiana and Mississippi weren’t so eager to comply until it was demanded of them. On Saturday morning, August 27, 2005 at 6:00am, the red alerts to evacuate covered the news. Diamond Head, Mississippi was going to be in the eye of the storm. “If we don’t get out now, we will die,” Jennifer said to her husband. They grabbed their son, three days worth of clothes, the pets, and a painting of their son. Jennifer’s mother’s house was vacant in La Grange, Georgia, so they fled there. On the drive, she prayed her family heirlooms would be protected.

Hurricane Katrina Hits

Vivian Brown of the Weather Channel shared an interesting piece of information with me: “The most dangerous side of a hurricane is the right front quadrant (or north and east of the eye of the hurricane). That means Diamond Head, MS was in the most dangerous part of the hurricane at landfall.”

From several states away, Jennifer and her husband watched the news on Monday morning, August 29th, as violent ocean waters devastated the Gulf Coast region. Within a few day period, rushing waters flooded 90,000 square miles of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Sustained winds of 100-140 miles per hour caused catastrophic damage to homes and businesses. 1,833 people lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina.

 

Devastating Loss

Jennifer’s husband and his brother traveled back to their home ten days after the hurricane hit. Donning hazmat suits, they began ravaging through the area that should have been their home. He called Jennifer and reported his observations: “Nothing looks the same. It looks like a bomb hit. I’m not sure I can find our house. By the way, my office has been obliterated.” Their home was a devastating loss. Wind and twenty-two feet of water knocked out the windows and doors, leaving just a shell of their home. However, sitting on the middle of their unusable dining room table was Jennifer’s grandmother’s soup terrain and her mother’s crystal glasses. All filled with murky ocean water, but none were broken.

What Now?

When Jennifer’s husband returned with her family’s heirlooms and their son’s birth certificate, they discussed what they would do now since they had lost everything. They couldn’t access money as the bank had been destroyed, along with all the records of their accounts. The wonderful people of La Grange, Georgia stepped in to help Jennifer’s family by providing food, clothes, and toys for her son. A small clothing merchant called and said, “I’m so sorry for your loss. You and your family need clothing, and I can help you. That’s what God would want me to do.” Jennifer, her husband, and their son were given a full wardrobe of clothing. “Dealing with FEMA was a nightmare,” Jennifer laments. “In order to get a FEMA trailer, you had to have a water source. The big problem with that for us was our water source was literally ripped out of the road.” The debate between wind versus water and which was responsible consumed conversations with the insurance companies. Even though the structural engineers declared their home a total loss, their insurance company wanted to pay out much less than what their house was worth. During the dispute with their insurance company, they were expected to continue to pay their mortgage and utility bills. A government mediator helped Jennifer and her husband put together a case in which they did receive the full amount for their home.

Overcoming Loss

With no home to return to, Jennifer and her husband decided to call La Grange, Georgia home. They enrolled their son in Kindergarten in their new hometown, but neither Jennifer nor her husband had a job. Thankfully, their joblessness didn’t last long. At an open house at her son’s new school, Jennifer’s husband met an attorney who knew of a local law practice that was looking for a partner. Jennifer’s son was in school and her husband was now practicing law, but she needed a job, too. A principal from a local school saw an article about Jennifer’s Hurricane Katrina story and the grant she wrote for NASA. Impressed with her credentials, he contacted her and hired her to teach high school students. Jennifer’s faith carried her through one of the toughest challenges her family has ever faced. As we end the interview, Jennifer becomes quiet for a few moments. Then she says, “I’m glad I listened to God because it helped prepare me. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I knew it meant something. If you don’t listen to Him, you won’t be prepared. He will show you He is there when you go through difficult times – through other people’s love and compassion for you.”

 

Share With Me: Most of us believe we couldn’t go on if we lost everything, but Jennifer is living proof you can overcome even a devastating loss. What have you learned from her story?