Katrina destroyed my home... My best friends haven't heard from their parents

For those of you who aren't family and have so graciously followed this blog for the past few weeks I am from Waveland, MS. It's a small town pretty much synonymous with it's sister town of Bay St. Louis. Unfortunately, the major news networks haven't found Slidell, Waveland, Bay St. Louis, nor Pass Christian worthy enough for coverage. Only New Orleans, Biloxi, and Gulfport have gotten aerial views and coverage of the rescues currently taking place. It is a fact that these smaller areas received the brunt of the storm surge at 30+ feet. However, for now, I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they have yet to be able to get in the area due to debris and flooding.

Anywhow, for me personally, my family was not in our house when the storm hit. My father works in Kansas City right now, and my brother (22yo) and step-mother are with him there. My other brother (24yo) is about an hour north of the coast in Hattiesburg, MS and last I heard, he was fine as that area did not have to deal with a storm surge. My Grandmother has been staying by herself in the house, but was taken to Pensacola, FL by her daughter and son-in-law. So, my immediate family is okay and accounted for, but more than likely my house and my neighborhood are gone.

However, my two best friends, Parker and Raun, have not heard from their parents since the beginning of the storm's landfall. Parker last spoke with his father and was cut off right after learning that the water was beginning to rise very quickly in their backyard where a creek was. They live in Lacombe, LA which is a spitting distance away from Lake Pontchartrain. My buddy Raun last spoke with his parents also when the storm was making landfall. His mother, father and grandmother were all together in their home and were putting buckets all around the house in Biloxi, MS as their roof was being ripped apart by the winds. Both Parker and Raun's parents were a mere 2 or so miles from the Biloxi beach and Lake Pontchartrain, and neither have heard from their folks. Today, Raun attmepted to drive from Jackson, MS to Biloxi but was denied access by local authorities. Tomorrow he will try again, and this time be accompanied by a doctor who should be able to get both of them through on his Medical credentials in order to help. Parker is still contemplating flying in from Denver to Baton Rouge where he has a sister, and trying to get into the Lacombe area maybe by foot or paddle. His other sister who had planned to visit in from California for her birthday had to obviously cancel her flight, and she is obviously distressed. I too am likely going to try and get down there for this 4 day weekend and meet up with both of them somehow, and help find their folks as well as assess my own neightborhood. It all depends on authorities allowing the major roads to open. worst case scenario is we'll have to walk it in from the nearest point of access.

All in all, I am still trying to swallow the total devastation, and worst of all names keep coming up in my mind. Old friends and neighbors who I grew up with who might have stayed and waited the storm out. I fear that many people died in my hometown as well as the surrounding area. People for some reason have always waited out the worst storms- event the last one, Hurricane Camille. It is apparent that this storm's damage is much worse, and therefore, it is likely the deathtoll will be reciprocated.

Please pray for the people of Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Lakeshore, Clermont Harbor, Pass Chrisitian, Long Beach, which haven't gotten the attention like New Orleans, or Gulfport/Biloxi, but certainly have gotten the same and likely worse beating from Katrina.

For family, I'll be posting updates for everyone as I get them in. Feel free to post your own things as well.