A Story by Luan Yo
Back in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina happened, I was too young to really know what was going on. We left the day before Katrina hit New Orleans. It was tough because our intended destination Texas was blocked off due to heavy traffic so we made way to Mississippi. After many hours, we stopped under a gas station to take cover for the night. Coincidently, that next day was my birthday and my present was the eye of a hurricane hovering over our car. I followed my parents lead and I felt like they were doing their best to keep all the family safe even with them not being able to speak English.
When Hurricane Ida happened, I felt more in control of what needed to be done. My dad was offshore working while all of this was happening so we couldn’t reach him. He’s a fisherman by trade. My mom wanted to wait but I couldn’t risk it from my memories of Hurricane Katrina. At one point, she wanted us to stay back because she doesn’t think “it’s that bad”. I made the executive decision to take my mom and dog, Rory, to Texas the day before Ida hit. My mom was nervous but I knew I made the right decision and even if the storm wasn’t bad, we can turn that trip into a small vacation.
Luckily, my dad made contact with us while we were on the way to Texas and he said his captain has redirect the direction to a base in Galveston, TX to housed the fishing boat. I didn’t see my dad until the following week. My mom wanted to go back home earlier than what I intended to check on the house. When we were back in New Orleans, it had an eerily quiet vibe to it that I vaguely remembered back with Katrina hit. I’ve checked on my neighbors and friends who stayed back and mentioned that their were multiple occurrences where looters try to open empty homes. It’s crazy to me that in these times of need that there are people who want to take advantage of the city.
Similarly to Katrina, Ida also hit on my birthday. At this point, I’m always cautious around my birthday for hurricanes. Thankfully, our house wasn’t hit as hard this time around.
Living in New Orleans, it’s definitely hard because you never know when is the next major hurricane that can change your life. Housing is a difficult topic in NOLA especially now with insurance doubling due to Ida. It’s making it even tougher for your average person to live in the city. As much as I love New Orleans, personally, I have two more major hurricanes left in me before I consider moving away.