This is our story.

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Southern and Eastern Plaquemines Parish was the 1st area in Louisiana hit by Katrina.

We took a direct hit from the massive storm...along with the category 3 winds, Katrina brought a 28 foot Tsunami-type storm surge that hit us dead on.

We were "GROUND ZERO!!!"

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Buras Water Tower

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Buras, Louisiana

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Buras, Louisiana

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THE TRIP HOME

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On September 29th 2005- Exactly one month after Katrina tore our lives apart my husband and I returned to Louisiana from Arkansas where we had been in a tortured exile, separated from our family and friends and wondering what we would face once we came home.

We knew it was going to be bad but nothing could have prepared us for what we found.

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Plaquemines Parish runs the length of the peninsula that juts out below the New Orleans area. The land area within our peninsula is very, narrow and is encompassed on either side by levees with the Mississippi River splitting the parish in half. Thus when our levees were topped and broken we became a very long soup-bowl from which the waters had to be pumped out. Once the southern part of our Parish was dewatered (Plaquemines Parish re-flooded September 23rd with Hurricane Rita pushing water back into our Parish) we were able to return to what had once been our home.

My husband made an initial trip on October 3rd and our streets were still slimy with oil and mud as you can see from one of the pics.

On October 8th, 2005, exactly 40 days after Katrina the road-blocks to South Plaquemines Parish were opened for residents to inspect their properties, so we made the trip down as a family with our two sons. My oldest son's father-in-law, and Danny Conaway, one of our close friends who is also a professional videographer accompanied us.

It had been 40 long, hard days since we had evacuated. On the way I had a picture of my home in my mind of how it was when we left, I tried to prepare myself for what I would see as I knew it would be very bad, but NO AMOUNT of preparation would get us ready to accept what we would soon see...

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Our Home Before Katrina

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DESTRUCTION!!

On our journey we left the semi-normalcy of Belle Chasse and headed south into what looked increasingly like a bombed war zone. Or some crazy apocalyptic movie set.

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Imagine driving for over 50 miles and seeing nothing but destruction!

As we approached West Pointe a La hache there was no doubt in our mind of what we would find.

Houses that had washed into the middle of the road now lined Highway 23 like empty sentinels sad, and alone. Warning us of what was to come.

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This home in diamond washed well over a quarter of a mile, maybe even half a mile to end up in the canal.

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Home on hwy 23; notice the debris on the roof eave!

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House on Hwy 23 Happy Jack Area upper Port Sulphur. Only the power lines stopped its progress toward the road.

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The houses that semi-survived the hurricane force winds and then the tsunami-surge waters that engulfed and ate our levees were left mangled and scattered about like a giant's muddy toys...but most were washed completely away. Many washed into other peoples property... whole houses up-ended and scattered like they were tumbled in a giant muddy washing machine.

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In Port Sulphur the horrifying sights just got worse. Whole streets of houses had washed into other streets. It was unbelievable.

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Port Sulphur

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Home on Truck

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Port Sulphur Library

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Guilbeau's, Family Dollar, Regions Bank- Port Sulphur

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Homes washed onto Hwy 23 intersection of Carrol Lane, Empire/Nairn, Louisiana

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This truck belonged to my Sister-inlaw's next door neighbor in Empire/Nairn, Louisiana.

Photo taken from video shot by our friend Danny Conaway

It is impaled through and through on the tree across the road from both houses.

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My sister-inlaw's house was gone completely,nothing left but the front steps and the Kitchen Sink!

What took the house out?

A tornado?

Did it implode?

You saw the truck above.

We can only imagine what happened in this area.

We think the remains of the 3 bedroom 2 bath brick and wood home eventually washed across the street into a mega debris field made up of over 20 other splintered homes.

We never found a piece big enough to identify the house.

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Buras Library -soon after Katrina- When recovery workers finally inspected the library packs of sausages were found on the ROOF of the library from Delta Grocery Store next door. And a sofa hung in the top branches of the tree behind the library.

Buras Library July 2005 -Just Before Katrina

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Buras Library After Katrina

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Our Communities - Our Lives

As we continued on I was numb with the enormity of what had happened, it wasnt just my home or even my street or our little town, it was over 20 towns and small communities in our area washed completely away. 3/4 of our Parish is destroyed or severely damaged. On the East Bank of the Mississippi from Braithwaite to Bohemia total destruction. On the West bank from Ironton to Venice and beyond to "The Village" a a United Houma Nation Community located South of Venice on Tidewater Road.

Even Beyond that, downriver to Pilottown home to riverboat pilots.

Both of our son's homes had flooded in the Metairie, Louisiana area and they were homeless also.

I knew Hurricane Rita had re-flooded us and had done the same tsunami-type damage to Vermillion and Cameron in Central and Western Louisiana. I knew what had happened in Mississippi .

Imagine a path of destruction beginning at the Texas/Louisiana border and continuing through all Mississippi to Alabama .

It was overwhelming. Life as we knew it on the Gulf Coast was gone forever.

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Our Street- Our Neighbors House has washed into the street.

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BURAS

It is very hard to write about what we found in Buras, all of what we had known as a life was violently destroyed, nothing was untouched. I knew home as we had known it was gone.

Several things struck me on that first day.

Buras was surreal. It was silent, silence.

The smell was overwhelming and so strange.

No birds! There were no birds to be found. None flying or in trees. None singing, chirping or peeping. It was dead, spooky SILENT, with no movement above! When you are accustomed to an area that is normally teeming with birds and wildlife and then suddenly there is none, you notice it!

No insects, I never saw a fly or an ant, a grasshopper, nothing, they soon returned but they were not there that day, nor for a time after.

It was so dry. Like all the moisture had been sucked out of the atmosphere. The ground and street was covered in baked, dried, powdery mud.

The animals that were there looked traumatized beyond help. In Boothville we saw horses on the highway looking so lost and lonely, I cried.

Seeing the community that I love so much in this state of violent obliteration was demoralizing. I have grieved for Buras and Plaquemines Parish like I would have grieved for a loved one. I truly miss what was and to this day it is still very difficult to see.

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Our Home Before Katrina

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After Katrina- Our house was picked up off it's piers and washed violently back 50 feet where it cracked apart.

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After Katrina

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Before Katrina- In my BEAUTIFUL Kitchen

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After Katrina- My son Daniel found my Dad's antique saw in the kitchen-(You can see the water levels on the wall behind him)This picture was taken in front of the same window I was standing in front of in the "before" picture above.

Photo taken from video shot by Danny Conaway

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After Katrina- Our Kitchen -Amazingly in the window you can still see a ceramic "heart" my friend Jeannie gave me long ago. It survived!

Photo taken from video shot by Danny Conaway

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-After Katrina- My reaction was complete shock and disbelief! Daniel tries to comfort me!

Photo taken from video shot by Danny Conaway

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After Katrina- Joshua trying to assure me that we will all come out of this OK. I still wonder if we will!

Photo taken from video shot by Danny Conaway

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End of Our Street- our neigbors trailer on top of their BMW

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Recovery?

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CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST BURAS RECOVERY UPDATES AND TO SEE RECENT AND CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED PHOTOS OF BURAS

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HOUSING

After Katrina the Louisiana Recovery Authority, or LRA, was set up to assist recovery for homeowners, businesses and whole communities.

The Road Home Program is the program designed by the LRA to provide compensation to Louisiana homeowners affected by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita for the damage to their homes. Eligible homeowners affected by Hurricanes Rita or Katrina could receive up to $150,000 in compensation for losses to rebuild or replace their homes.

For most people it was a very long and sometimes unending process.

From day 1 issues abounded with the Road Home Program. And now nearly 4 years later the program is getting yet another overhaul! Lets hope this one is better.

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The Road Home program statistics as of THIS WEEK!

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We can not confuse the LRA with FEMA.

LRA is the state agency administering funds to Louisiana Homeowners and communities.

FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

After the storms FEMA was charged with providing temporary housing for displaced residents waiting for LRA money to rebuild or replace their homes.

Most people today have heard of FEMA trailers. The very small camper trailers FEMA brought to us to use as temporary housing.

If you had adequate electricity and water services and owned the property or had a release from an owner FEMA would put a FEMA trailer on personal property.

Unfortunately the infrastructure of most areas in Southern and Eastern Plaquemines Parish was so badly damaged, and suddenly now remote from stores and other life necessities, some could not return to their property for quite some time.

So after Katrina, many people lived in the 3 large FEMA trailer campsites through-out the parish ( Diamond, Captain Larry's, and Davant on the east bank).

These larger camps were high-security areas, patrolled by armed-guards and enclosed in chain-link fence. Residents shared a small laundry facility.

Before Katrina, the majority of Plaquemines Parish residents owned their own home and land, they were comfortable with spread-out country living. Many found it very difficult living in such cramped quarters and cramped trailer sites.

Imagine a family of four or more in such a tight environment. Imagine the consequences on children trying to go to school, when just doing homework in such cramped quarters becomes a major issue. Some children did nightly homework in the family car with the interior dome-light providing light, and the car providing a measure of privacy.

Some did whatever they had to, to survive life in the parks.

This caused added stress on many good families.

Sadly, crime and domestic violence have increased in our little Parish.

Some residents lived in smaller FEMA-funded trailer campsites on private land.

Hundreds of South Plaquemines Parish properties have been taken by the Army Corp of Engineers for levee expansion. Many had just a small portion of their land that was against the levee taken. Some people have no land to come back to.

Housing needs are still an issue in Plaquemines Parish, but it is getting better. Way better than it was!

As of November 1, 2008 the large FEMA camps are closing.

Captain Larry's where we lived for so long does not have a single FEMA trailer left. It is now a commercial camper trailer park, and seems to be doing quite well.

Diamond, or as residents called it, the 450, the largest FEMA Park in Plaquemines Parish remains open, but only a few trailers are within its gates.

Almost all FEMA Trailers parked on personal or rental property have now been removed.

When the removal was initiated last year it caused fear and anxiety for many.

FEMA was offering to move residents to the city, which to most of our local people was like offering them a trip to mars.

In 2008 the LRA was supposed to unveil a more intensive caseworker system for people in temporary housing, but it never materialized. In Plaquemines Parish the Parish council people, the Parish Presidents office, neighbors and other agencies have helped most all residents being threatened by homelessness find a place to live. Some in other areas are not so fortunate!

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1/05/2007:Phoenix Community Building homes! Two and three bedroom homes, owned outright and built in a matter of months. Click link for story!

August 29th 2007: 2 years after the storm, Parish President, Billy Nungesser appeared on a round table discussion on channel 4 news and said that he knew of ONLY 4 rental properties in the whole parish.

December 2008:There are still 716 FEMA trailers in Plaquemines Parish, the peak trailer count for Plaquemines Parish was 3,944 in 2006.

There are still very, very few places to rent in ALL of Plaquemines Parish. In Belle Chasse, in the extreme northern part of the Parish, (and many, many miles from the most severly damaged areas) most rentals go for $700.00 - $1200.00 a month or above.

To BUY a home in any of the "unscathed" areas is unbelievable, and for most it is out of the question.

Most who are returning to Southern Plaquemines Parish are now returning to their property in modular or mobile homes. More and more return every day.

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After a long period of time there were plans for housing Plaquemines Parish residents in a more permanent way. But it has been very slow coming.

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News on 4/14/2007: Billy Nungesser, our Parish president announced this week that 42 full sized trailers will be arriving in Plaquemines Parish to start the above plan. He indicated more will be coming as time goes on.

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8/8/2007 The 42 full sized trailers mentioned above have finally arrived!!!

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6/8/2008: Today many are still waiting on additionally promised full-sized trailers! Initially 800 or so trailers were promised.

In January 2009 another major issue with these much needed trailers arose!

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Many Plaquemines Parish residents are afraid of the commercialization and industrialization of the communities they love.

Many frustrated residents, who are left with little choice by the molasses slow recovery, are selling their properties to outside people who wish to build fishing camps or more commercialized ventures.

You really can't blame either.

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Many considering modular homes or double-wides are unable to secure one, due to the cost of insuring a home. Some who have bought mobile homes pay up to $5000.00 a year for insurance on top of a house note.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST BURAS UPDATES AND TO SEE RECENT RECOVERY PHOTOS OF BURAS

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SCHOOLS

The schools damaged or destroyed by Katrina in the Southern part of the Parish on the West bank were at Port Sulphur, Boothville and Buras. Buras had two separate school buildings. Buras High School and Elementary School was located on one campus in the middle of Buras and Buras Middle School was located in the Sunrise area.

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There also was a pk-12 school at Phoenix on the East bank of the river.

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The Schools in the Southern West bank of the Parish have consolidated and have opened in modular classrooms at Port Sulphur and at Boothville.

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Phoenix School on the East bank has opened as a modular school also.

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Buras High School (which after Katrina was not being used)suffered a fire that destroyed some of what Katrina had left of it. Sheriff Jiff Hingle says the fire was intentionally set. At the time of the fire School officials vowed that plans to have a school at Buras in the future would go forward despite the fire.

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9/24/2007: NYT Article: South Plaquemines High Hurricanes Persevere Despite Continued Hardships

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4/5/2007: SOUTH PLAQUEMINES SCHOOL TO BE PLACED IN BURAS The official resolution offered by District 9 member and parliamentarian William Mertz and seconded by District 8 member Helen Barrois states,The Plaquemines Parish School Board will rebuild the old Buras High campus, and the school shall be named South Plaquemines High with the mascot of the Hurricanes. ... In the event that the old Buras High building is deemed un-repairable, the Plaquemines Parish School Board will build a new school on the Buras Middle School site, keeping the Hurricanes as the mascot.

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4/22/2007: The Plaquemines Parish School Board had decided to renovate the old Buras Middle School site as the permanent home of its new consolidated South Plaquemines High School, despite criticism from one board member who called that choice "unsound." CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY!

12/1/2008:A consolidated South Plaquemines High School in Buras is planned at the old Buras Middle School site and demolition of the old Buras High is scheduled to begin soon.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST BURAS UPDATES AND TO SEE RECENT RECOVERY PHOTOS OF BURAS

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COMMUNITY

12/1/2008: Buras ground breaking for new Community Center

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INDUSTRY

Industry is coming back in the southern part of the Parish especially the oil industry, and sports fishing industry in the Venice area.

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There are plans for expansion of the Plaquemines Parish Port!

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3/23/2007:PLAQUEMINES and N.O. PORTS SIGN MAJOR MARKETING PACT

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6/29/2007:State may fund several Plaquemines projects that will increase business to our Parish

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06/24/2008:PORT BILL DIES IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

There are plans for expansion of Venice as a major hub of industry by deepening Baptiste Collette thus making a direct path to the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. This plan has been surrounded in conflict and debates.

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COMMERCIAL FISHING

Prior to Katrina Plaquemines Parish was home to the 3rd Largest Seafood Port in the Nation! Over 60 million dollars of products are exported internationally, including oysters, shrimp, finfish and crabs. !

Reporting on the losses due to Katrina LSU Ag Center reported an estimated $72 million in lost shrimp production. Following that was oysters with an estimated loss of $25 million, menhaden with $17 million, crabs at $15 million, finfish as $12.5 million, turtles at $5.4 million and alligators, $3.8 million.

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The commercial fishing industry is making a brave effort to recoup without much help from outside sources.

The people of Valdez, Alaska generously donated a boat lift to our Parish to help get fishermen's boats up and repaired.

A neighboring Parish (St. Bernard Parish) received an industrial ice machine for their fishermen. Plaquemines fishermen were told they would share the machine with St. Bernard but the great distance to travel to the ice machine and the fact fishermen on the west bank would even have to cross the river on the ferry makes it quite ludicrous to do so.

Initially fishermen were promised help when Coast Guard officials promised to help recover all commercial vessels grounded or sunk by Katrina and Rita. This proved to be a false promise for many leaving plenty fishermen high and dry!

Soon after hurricane Katrina, many charities were formed to help commercial fishermen. (too many to list here.) They too have proved to be false.

Louisiana will receive $52.9 million for "Fisheries", sadly individual small boat fishermen will not see much of the money. Of the $52.9 million, $22.9 million will go to reseeding, rehabilitation and restoration of oyster beds, $25 million to oyster and shrimp ground rehabilitation and $5 million for research to monitor fisheries recovery, said John Roussel, assistant secretary for fisheries with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. -Times Picayune Monday, September 04, 2006

Many commercial fishermen I know have left or are contemplating leaving the business. Sadly for many a whole way of life is lost.

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10/11/2007: FEMA has obligated more than $4.0 million toward repairing the Point-A-La-Hache Boat Harbor.Click for story

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9/22/2007:Gulf of Mexico Marine Debris Project is mapping Plaquemines ParishReport on WWLTV

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9/22/2007:Gulf of Mexico Marine Debris Project Website (Interactive maps available)

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3/26/2007: Recently a report has been made about a consolidated effort by joint agencies to rescue stranded commercial boats. An estimated 4000 commercial vessels remain damaged or stranded in Louisiana!

7/13/2008: I don't think the above ever happened!

In my opinion, IF we had been 4000 FARMERS who had lost their farm equipment in one night due to a natural disaster every celebrity, singer, and actor in the United States would have been to our rescue (FISH-AID ANYONE?) and every news organization on the planet would have reported on it! We would have been back to work shortly after Katrina, not still waiting for help nearly 3 years later! What is sad is that the farmers always complain about not being supported! I say, try being a commercial fisherman after Katrina in Southeast Louisiana!

What is wrong with this picture?

STRANDED!

So close and yet SO far! Commercial shrimp boat grounded just a few hundred yards away from the Empire Marina -24 months later! This is just sad! And what is sadder is that this is just one of over 4000 Louisiana Commercial boats that were stranded and damaged due to Katrina and Rita !!!

INDEED, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???

6/08/2008: Boats are still stranded, fishermen are still hurting.

We were recently notified we would be receiving some aid through a program sponsored by the State of Louisiana.

Most fishermen I talk to say it is much too little, and much, much too late!

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CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST BURAS UPDATES AND TO SEE RECENT RECOVERY PHOTOS OF BURAS

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AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK

Plaquemines Parish Citrus Industry took an especially hard hit.

As did our Cattle Industry .

Much effort was put into the rescue of cattle by their owners, volunteers and other agencies. Unfortunately many head of cattle succumbed. Click here to read Ms. Patty Vogt's determined story!

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Article mentioning Plaquemines Parish cattleman, Earl Armstrong

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Coastal Restoration

06/22/2008: There is AN ARTICLE in today's "Advocate" that is praising Plaquemines Parish in taking the initiative in Coastal Restoration. If the plan mentioned in the article is implemented it might be GREAT NEWS for Plaquemines Parish.

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OPENINGS,PROGRESS and NEWS YOU CAN USE

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Stores

Stores are back open in Southern Plaquemines.

Including: In Port Sulphur Fremins Grocery and Just Next Door, Delta Drugs, The Dollar General, Port Sulphur Hardware, Happyland, The Family Dollar, and Guilbeaus

In Empire: Ulmer's Supply.

In Buras: Happyland Convenience Store, K and K Hardware, and soon a Dollar General Store.

In Boothville: Fil-A Sak, and Adams Convenience Store.

In Venice Ellzey Marine & Hardware.

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Restaurants

Many Restaurants in the southern end are now open including:

In Port Sulphur: Ann's, Kristy's, Cajun Kitchen, Guilbeau's Deli & Pizza, and the Donut Shop.

In Empire Pams on the Bayou

In Buras there is The Black Velvet Oyster Bar and Grill, The Gathering Place and Alice and Woody's.

In Boothville there is Maws, and Adam's Grocery Deli.

In Venice there is the Venice Marina Restaurant, Riverside, the BBQ Hut, Barbara's and Cypress Cove Grill.

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06/08/2008: There is plenty going on in South Plaquemines...but it is slow, slow going and although many have returned to Buras, it still is the least recovered!

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NOT SO GOOD NEWS

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9/30/2005:Some In Plaquemines Told To Raise Homes 18 Feet

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5/22/2007: If THE ROAD HOME PROGRAM continues to pay out money at the current rate, THE ROAD HOME PROGRAM could be more than $3 billion short because there are more applicants than originally estimated and the average payouts are higher than predicted.

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4/29/2007: Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed!!! 4/29/2007: Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed!!! Overseas Allies offered $854 million in cash and in oil that was to be sold for cash. But only $40 million has been used so far for disaster victims or reconstruction, according to U.S. officials and contractors. Most of the aid went uncollected, including $400 million worth of oil. (Plaquemines Parish mentioned in article)

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4/26/2007: Businesses in hardest hit Parishes still struggling: In Plaquemines Parish only 68 percent of pre-Katrina residents have returned according to THIS article.

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DECEMBER 13, 2006: DECEMBER 5TH Buras High School (which after Katrina was not being used)suffered a horrible fire that destroyed some of what Katrina had left of it. Sheriff Jiff Hingle says the fire was intentionally set, (click here for more info.) School officials vow that plans to have a school at Buras in the future will go forward but the fire will probably slow that effort.

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The State of Mississippi out did Louisiana in gaining grants for housing storm victims. FEMA awarded $280 million to Mississippi for new housing for storm victims. The state of Louisiana has only been awarded $74 million dollars for a grant to supply "Katrina Cottages" to limited areas. It looks like those who are getting them won�t be able to keep them anyway. (Go figure!!!) As stated Mississippi will get 70% of the housing grant money, Louisiana missed out on a big chunk of money due to a more "competitive" Mississippi plan.

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Recently several news articles have openly questioned the feasibility of residents living in our area.

To those people I say, "There are disasters no matter where you live! Tornadoes, fires, earthquakes and worse. I would ask those questioning us to imagine that it is your neighborhood, community, town, county or state and that your life was being impacted radically. Then answer, is your home worth recovering and your area worth protecting from those threats???!!"

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WHERE ARE WE NOW? AND HOW WE GOT HERE

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After coming back to the New Orleans area we had to make due as best we could. It was not easy. We were trying to hold on to our jobs and way of life, and what little bit of community familiarity that we can.

And of course we want to stay close to our family. Losing sense of community is very hard. It was important for us to come back.

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I was told if I came back to work that housing would be provided for me.

I assumed that meant within a reasonable period of time. But life here was a mess and everyone was overwhelmed!

I had never heard of FEMA.

Initially upon our return to the area we were living with our youngest son in his girlfriend's River Ridge apartment.This area had sustained minimal damage during Katrina. We were grateful to have a place to collect ourselves and lay our head.

South Plaquemines was still in under water and inaccessible to any but first responders.

When the lease at the River Ridge apartment was up we all found we were homeless again as the lease could not be renewed. The rent for that apartment was over 900.00 a month pre-Katrina (I am sure they went up on it considerably as they were not renewing leases.

Apartment complex where we lived in River Ridge right after the storm.

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After Katrina this was very common. Housing was at a premium. Upscale apartments were being sought after by recovery workers and government officials and others, who had the ability to pay any amount asked!

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After much fretting about our future, and much dialog with the parish administration, my husband and I then went to a shelter operated by a major oil company (Chevron/Oronite) in northern Plaquemines right out of Belle Chasse. We lived in a 12X12 metal bunk house for 2 months. We went in knowing it would only be for 2 months, no exceptions. The shelter closed Jan 2nd 2006.

Chevron Bunk Houses

Tough, but necessary rules were strictly followed and enforced at the Chevron Camp.

A strict but adequate meal schedule was offered. Three hot meals a day were offered at the central mess tent, there was absolutely NO cooking allowed in the bunks. No one was allowed into the compound that did not live there. It was gated and you had to pass through security to enter. Absolutely no visitors were allowed in. You were given a photo identification that you left with the armed-guard upon leaving the premises and picked up when you re-entered. Curfew was 11:00PM. The very nice, large laundry trailer was monitored by video cameras. As promised January 1st, 2006 was our final day there.

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Jan 2nd, 2006 we moved into the Sheraton New Orleans courtesy of arrangements made by my employer and FEMA for 2 weeks. There were no FEMA trailer parks in Plaquemines Parish. The Sheraton was a much needed break after 2 months in a tiny metal bunk-house. The full-sized bathtub and the giant comfy bed and the big room was a welcome change and was WONDERFUL!

Our room at the SHERATON NEW ORLEANS! 2 MUCH NEEDED WEEKS OF REST

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People forget what a luxury an open room, a big bathtub and a nice bed can be. Believe me, after all this small-space living. I wont ever take those things for granted again. I dreamed of big open rooms, and most of all bathtubs, a bathtub is a luxury!!!

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Upon leaving the Sheraton in mid-January 2006 I admit I was very worried about what we were going to have to do, just to house ourselves.

Sleeping in our vehicle was a real possibility. We searched and searched and so did our friends and family, there just wasn't anything! Our in-laws home was crowded to the gills, at one point a few people had offered their garage for us to sleep in. Our nearest friends, with any floor-space lived in LaCombe, too far away to drive into work. At the last minute we found a "room" to rent.

We moved into a "pool house" in the Lake Oaks subdivision (believe it or not that tiny area against the lake front did not flood). It was the only available thing we could find anywhere in the metro-area.

We paid 1000.00 a month (!!!) for a tiny, tiny, one room pool-shed in a man's backyard, while we waited for a FEMA trailer park to open.

Pool Shed in Lake Oaks Subdivision off Elysian Fields near the Lake.

It had a new stove and new refrigerator, a small table, an old beat-up couch rescued after the storm from a trash-pile by the owner (he bragged about this to us). We slept on our own air mattress.

It had NO CLOSET! Something most all of us take for granted, again something I never will!

The tiny, dark, and dingy bathroom had a very large smelly, noisy pool pump in it, a rusty toilet and a dark, dank, stand-up shower. I took a flashlight to the shower with me every time because of the lack of light and fear of creepy crawlies. I had to hope the man was home in order to do my laundry, inside his garage.

We ended up staying here 2 1/2 months.

I know this must sound crazy but at this point most people we knew were sleeping 2-3 families or more to a home, if it was livable.

I drove the 20 miles to work every day down the length of a very deserted, depressing Elysian Fields no traffic or street lights, at all and then on to I-10 with bumper to bumper and just outlandish, horrible traffic with ladders falling off trucks, dodging sofa cushions in the middle of your lane and CRAZY people who were either sleep deprived as I was or from out of state and had NO CLUE where they were trying to get to. An almost wild-west attitude took over the traffic of post-Katrina New Orleans. CRAZY RULED!

My husband drove the 70 miles one way just to Buras, all told 91 miles one way to go to Venice to sell his crabs. He did this daily for 2 months.

Again, this was common, some people I know were driving into Belle Chasse from Baton Rouge, Covington, Houma and Slidell, and sometimes even further just to go to work daily.

When we moved in, our landlord asked us to tell anyone in his (very upscale) neighborhood who asked that I was his niece.

When we approached him about moving out he told us how he had lost his business in St. Bernard Parish and told us if we could spare any extra money to please leave it on the table when we left the key.

This angered me, I left a photo of my destroyed property in Buras.

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Six tortuous months and one week after the storm on March 8th, 2006 we finally moved into one of the 3 larger public FEMA Trailer Camps in Plaquemines Parish. My place of work after the storm was in Belle Chasse. My husband, a commercial fisherman drove to Buras every day. At times we wondered how much longer we could live this discombobulated.

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Inside a FEMA trailer

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Life in a FEMA trailer is difficult at best and it was just the two of us.

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Imagine what larger families went through, living in the 8'X 28'small camper trailers. It was very hard at times. Sometimes just hauling your laundry over and taking your turn at the small FEMA laundry could be overwhelming.

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Our oldest son and his wife were finally able to move back into their home in Metairie 9 months after Katrina hit.

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Our youngest son's apartment complex in Metairie was flooded and severely damaged, it had to be completely gutted and repaired. Not only did he lose his apartment, he too lost all his possessions. Today he still lives in Metairie.

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After much anguish and agonizing we made our decision.

My husband and I are living back in Buras!

I work in Belle Chasse.

On my 52 mile commute to work every day I see the recovery of the westbank side of our parish. When I cross the Empire Bridge every morning and look at the beautiful sight of Bay Adams on my left and the Mississippi River on my right I KNOW why we came back.

Buras is our home.

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ONLINE PHOTO ALBUMS AND VIDEOS ABOUT PLAQUEMINES PARISH

These are just a few of the many I have found. If you know of any you want posted here email me at the address on the bottom of the page.

I can only link albums not upload photos as my space here is limited. Recovery photo albums or progress photo albums would be great also.

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kajunsun's PHOTO ALBUM

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Alexey Sergeev's PHOTO ALBUM

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Hurricane Katrina - Operation Southern Comfort: Team Idaho 2005 (Photos taken by an Idaho National Guard Member, They came to Plaquemines Parish early on and we THANK them for all that they did for our communities!!! Photos shown include: Port Sulphur Hospital and High,Delta Food-Mart,cattle being rounded up, Many marina and shots of boats some from angles I had never seen before.)

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Shawn Tierney's Video

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STORIES ABOUT INDIVIDUAL TOWNS IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH

For Buras Updates click here

For Buras Updates click here

I could not find stories for all the towns.

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Bohemia

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Boothville (A Mobile Learning Center Video By my good friend Clarice)

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Braithwaite

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Buras

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Carlisle

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Davant

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Davant (another story)

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Davant (one more story)

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Diamond FEMA Park 450 Photo Project

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Diamond (one more)

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Diamond (one more)

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Diamond (one more)

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Empire

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Empire (another story)

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Empire (Popular photo of Shrimp and Pogue Boats on Hwy 23)

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Empire (photo story)

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Grand Bayou

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Ironton

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Phoenix

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PilotTown

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Pointe A La Hache (this picture says it all!)

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Port Sulphur(A photo story)

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Port Sulphur (1 More)

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Sunrise (Levee Break Photo)

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Venice

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The Village

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Fort Jackson

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THOSE WHO STAYED!

Many people wonder what it was like in Southern and Eastern Plaquemines Parish during Katrina. Only a few actually know!

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9/1/2007: Plaquemines Parish Resident Mark Poirrier Article -A Plaquemines Parish Resident, who did not evacuate, barely escaped with his life!

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Anthony Henry's Story

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There is a Video of Katrina actually coming ashore at Empire by Kent Frelich who incredibly stayed on his shrimp boat during Katrina.

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Links and Linked News Articles

For the latest updates, including current photos of the recovery of Buras, Louisiana click below.

All about the latest recovery news from Buras, Louisiana including photos.

Do you want to know what is going on in Buras now? Click here to go to a page of current updates about Buras, the most recent photos of South Plaquemines and thoughts on current events concerning Buras and Southern Plaquemines Parish

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10/06/2007:Plaquemines Gazette: TWO YEARS AND 18 FEET LATER

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9/30/2007:Some In Plaquemines Told To Raise Homes 18 Feet

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9/24/2007 Article on South Plaquemines High Football Champions: NYT Article: South Plaquemines High Hurricanes Persevere Despite Continued Hardships

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9/24/2007:Members of the Houma Nation and other indigenous nations living in settlements in lower Plaquemines and other areas hit hard by hurricanes and virtually ignored!

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8/10/2007Forgotten but Not Gone: Buras, Louisiana By Charles E. Anderson

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9/04/2007TP Article- NORTHERN MIGRATION- After Katrina scattered Plaquemines Parish residents, many landed in Belle Chasse, where some intend to stay. Interviews with: Leighton Lee (Parish Resident), Bonnie Buras (Coldwell Banker), Schools Superintendent Eva Jones, Sheriff Jiff Hingle , Parish President Billy Nungesser, Dominick Scandurro (Attorney), Sammy Kurtz (Belle Chasse Jewelers),and Sal St. Phillip (Salvo's Seafood Restaurant and Market)

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8/29/2007Disaster is only one marsh away -Boston Globe article By Joshua Clark, Author of Heart Like Water

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8/29/2007Interview with Mike Mariana- Plaquemines Parish Economic Development Board, Mike Bush -Mississippi River Bank, Arnie Cobbett -local salvage business owner, who according to this article brought in millions of dollars, removing damaged boats and debris, Mike Butler -owner of Venice Marina .

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8/29/2007Carlisle, Pennsylvania is helping Carlisle, Louisiana (Thank you!)

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People for Plaquemines .org

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06/08/2007Realities of poverty and devastation in the Katrina-affected Gulf are still unchanged. story by Mitchell A. Kamin

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1/20/2006:LSU storm researcher Hassan Mashriqui says "Corps modeling shows the storm basically moved Breton Sound across eastern Plaquemines Parish to the river. The storm surge at Pointe a la Hache reached 20.4 feet, with waves on top of that as high as 10 feet, models show..." The article continues "Storm modelers said the surge and waves swamped the river and the levees south of Port Sulphur with as much as 40 feet of water..."

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Link to "The CPRA Master Plan for Louisiana and in it the map of Plaquemines that divides the parish into three levels of hurricane protection and shows planned diversion projects."

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Katrinas Surge: An in-depth report by Margie Kieper on Katrina's Storm Surge and it's effect on Plaquemines Parish

Click here for Complete Index to Margie's whole series Grand Isle - Mobile, Alabama

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Link to NYT Reporter Jere' Longman's Series on South Plaquemines High Football Team -True Tenacity in Motion

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Speak up Plaquemines!!! "Plaquemines Parish Forum at the Times Picayune NOLA.com site"

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Plaquemines Parish Katrina Montage Video By Mike Lane @ RodNReel.com

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Plaquemines Parish Video By coldiscool17@ youtube.com

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CNN ARTICLE: National Hurricane Center- Katrina was a strong Category 3 storm, not a Category 4 as initially thought!(all I've got to say is, "Come see Plaquemines Parish!"; If Katrina was a just a category 3, I would never want to EVER see a 4 or 5!!!)

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Videos Made By Plaquemines Parish Children at The Mobile Learning Intitute Digital Arts Summer Camp

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Plaquemines Parish CBS Article by 48 hours correspondent Byron Pitts

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USA Today Article "PLAQUEMINES PARISH wonders what's next?" By Anne Rochell Konigsmark

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T.P. ARTICLE: "LAND LOST- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Plaquemines Parish took the brunt of the land loss"

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"Misery where Katrina tore ashore" -September 14, 2005 (Jiff Hingle, John Vogt, Buddy Hyatt, Clark Fontaine, interviewed) ARTICLE

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Buras Levee "Slump" Story (or as we remember it: "when that new levee they are building fell")

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August 27, 2005- "Plaquemines Parish declares a mandatory evacuation": Archive Articles from Aug 27th, 2005 T.P

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Cox News Service Article about Plaquemines: Interviews with Bruce Gasquet and Chris Leopold

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CNN Article about Plaquemines: "New Orleans' biggest problem isn't failing levees"

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Article Featuring Plaquemines Orange and Tomato Farmers and Cattle Ranchers: "Ms. Patty" and "Mr. John" Vogt

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Follow-up Article Featuring "Ms. Patty" Vogt

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New Yorker Article: "WATERMARK Can southern Louisiana be saved?" by ELIZABETH KOLBERT (article featuring Plaquemines Parish after Katrina)

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NPR News Audio Report-one week after Katrina

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National Geographic Article about Plaquemines Parish

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Plaquemines Parish MSNBC Article By Carl Quintanilla with Video

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The Gulf Coast 6 months after Katrina by Inge Eason

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Plaquemines Parish Map and Info

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"Valdez Alaska Donates Boat Lift"

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Through it All... the people of PLAQUEMINES PARISH are DIE HARD SAINTS FANS!!! GEAUX DEUCE!!! GEAUX DREW!!! GEAUX REGGIE!!! WE LOVE THE BOYS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!!

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Even the Chicago Tribune can see how much Plaquemines Parish LOVES the Saints!

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Plaquemines Parish Library

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Plaquemines Gazette Website

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Plaquemines Parish Government Website

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photos taken in New Orleans East by Don McClosky that I think might give people a good idea of the fury of Katrina.

(Somehow Don McClosky's photos got credited and were mass circulated by email after Katrina as to being taken by someone at St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; this is totally false.)

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Page created and maintained by Patrisha Walker

Please, please, report any issues or broken links to the email address below.

Email:buras_katrina_page@yahoo.com

~Guestbook~

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