Profile Essay One Mans Story of Hurricane Katrina Bringing His Community Together

As the days of August 2005 came to an end, a tropical depression rushed through the ocean, whipping through the Floridian peninsula before finding out the intensity of the storm within the Gulf of Mexico. There was a dangerous storm approaching, but residents had no idea what was to coming back to. Mayor at the time, Ray Nagin, issued a voluntary evacuation for New Orleans on Aug. 27, then a compulsory evacuation the following day. Hours later, Hurricane Katrina made landfall, and the levees failed, leaving the buildings in New Orleans submerged in water. Joseph Bridges, a replacement Louisiana-based contractor, and his family were several the last residents to go away town because the Category 5 hurricane was charging inland. The family initially contemplated riding out the storm but decided to evacuate now. "Our first stop was visiting Atlanta," Bridges told me.

"My wife had a pair of sisters that lived there at the time, so we visited Atlanta for what we thought was going be two or three days. When the levees broke." Next, Joseph expressed, "Everybody was completely shocked, like (pauses), what are we going to do next?" Just seeing his facial expressions during the interview, you'll be able to make an assumption talking about this event may be a sensitive topic to him and his family. The hurricane hit his son Jordan the toughest out of the family. Jordan, who was a senior in high school at the time at Warren Easton, remembered watching the coverage of the storm on the news. When he saw the pictures of his beloved city underwater, he knew everything was visiting vary. "As I'm seeing people swim across Canal Street in bins and boats, I'm like, we're probably not going home anytime soon," he said. "At that point, my wife was in her next to last semester of law school. So work wasn't the priority for me; it absolutely was school, getting everybody quite established and back in school," Joe said while tearing up. Within the following week, after Katrina took over the New Orleans metro area as one. Luckily, his wife was offered an edge at George Washington University School of Law, therefore the family grabs the few belongings they possessed with them and made their way from Atlanta to Washington, D.C... During the months after the historical landfall, the city of New Orleans would see unprecedented suffering.

The 1,833 casualties due to Hurricane Katrina can seem unreal at that point, the bulk of whom was from Louisiana. There was over $125 billion in estimated damages towards the town. Mr. Bridges wanted to give back to his community, so Joseph travels back and forth from Washington D.C. to New Orleans to giving a lending hand to rebuild the town. "I would wake up at 5:00 (or) 5:30 within the morning and that I would drive from D.C. to New Orleans," Joe said. "And then I might stay here for every week if it is necessary" He felt that this action would distance him from his family. The Bridges had numerous opportunities within the D.C. area and that they considered staying permanently. Joe recognizes grappling with the choice that doesn't just affect him but additionally as his family too. "Then I started contemplating about it, and I am like, 'You do a craft, and three quarters to seven-eighths of your city is out of power and you're just going to leave, and just leave your city hanging? The place that helped you create your money, the place you where you were born and raised?' In January 2006, the Bridges decided to maneuver their way back to New Orleans. Up until that time, Joseph had been the sole member of the family to work through the state of the town. This will be the first time since the storm that the rest of the family will see the building, they called home. "I just remember (it) being an emotional few days," Jordan said. "Even getting back to the house for the primary time, just all the flies. I just remember the carpet and stuff being torn up and just a bunch of flies everywhere." Despite the destruction, Joseph rebuilt the house and passed it right down to his sons. Jordan continues to measure within the home today, where the legacy of Katrina lingers in its walls. Even fifteen years later, New Orleans remains addressing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

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In parts of the city, you will still see remnants of homes that were destroyed during the storm. The city's population still has not reached pre- Hurricane levels, with many families deciding it is too disturbing or too difficult returning to the town they called home for several years. Jordan described it as a "veil" that covers the town. Jordan, Joseph's son, made several points about how the community came together and rebuilt the city. He told me, "I watched neighborhoods, blocks, filled with people just helping one another rebuilding their homes. "It was beautiful just seeing strangers lending a hand to at least one another during this time of need". Though Katrina brought an incomprehensible amount of suffering, it also unveiled a way of fellowship unlike anywhere else. "Going through something as significant as Katrina along with your loved ones and friends," Jordan said, "Those bonds, you know, those are the items that are going to last forever."

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