Here we go again

I talked to my Aunt Donna today and things are not well in south Louisiana. Hurricane Ike took his toll on those families living south of Highway 90 in Iberia Parish, which includes my grandfather’s house.

Ike hit southern Texas, west of Louisiana. For those that are not familiar with the all encompassing threat of a hurricane, where the eye (center) hits is where you will expect the most wind damage however it is the eastern side that receives the largest tidal surge. Imagine a hurricane as a really large pissed off tornado; it is a swirling mass of wind that can stretch for miles and miles, in the case of Ike, the storm was 100’s of miles wide. As the eye was passing over Texas, the outer bands stretched over all of the southern Louisiana coastline. One would think that once the eye passes the storm tapers down, in actuality the worst part of the storm is after the eye passes. The proverbial quiet before the storm.

As most of you have seen in the days after, Hurricane Ike traveled across the US causing damage from Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Tornado's, flooding and wind damage from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. Many of you know someone that knows someone that was and still is affected by this monster storm.

Once again, my PawPaw’s house has taken on water. Not as much as Hurricane Rita brought in 2005 but still enough to cause significant damage. The house is a few feet off the ground but the water crested above that, allowing approximately 6 or so inches into the house. Damaging the hardwood floors, drywall and furniture – AGAIN. Not only did the house take on water but so did the FEMA trailer that PawPaw has lived in since 2005. Don’t get me wrong, there are 100’s if not 1000’s that are in worse shape than my family. Thankfully, Aunt Donna was able to convince PawPaw to come stay at her house if for nothing else to protect the car. The water would have destroyed his car. The car would have been completely submerged.

PawPaw has not moved back into his home since the Hurricane Rita. I believe that amount of changes that had to occur after Hurricane Rita, altered his state of familiarity. It was no longer the house that he and MawMaw had built together and lived out the remainder of her life in. It was no longer the house that they together, decorated and filled with the memories of raising their children, spoiling their grandchildren and being a strong, united couple against the world. I don’t think PawPaw knows how to move back into the house that is no longer familiar. The floor plan is still the same but the spirit of the house is no more.

I am grateful to all that are working so hard to make this event bearable. I am thankful that my family is once again safe, a little more worn but safe. I wish all of you strength to deal with the seemingly insurmountable amount of red tape that once again – you will have to face and I hope that the remainder of the hurricane season stays silent.