October 08, 2005
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“I had one to three feet of water in my home a couple of years ago… it was awful… so I know some of what it feels like for the Katrina victims.  I lost everything!”

-- paraphrase of Angelle Sampey interview w/Crash in Houma, LA on 10-6-05

CAN it be any worse than losing everything?

I can now say YES!

Rather than writing my feelings of shock, disbelief, extreme anger, amazement, frustration, sadness and outrage, I’m going to let the pictures do most of the talking this week.

Below are photos of Louisiana and Mississippi after the ferocious devastation of Hurricane Katrina. 
Our TV Producer, “Zebra”, was at Ground Zero in NYC right after 9-11… he also visited southern Florida after Hurricane Andrew.  To quote him, “Neither of those events can come close to the widespread destruction of Katrina.  I have witnessed things this week that I have never seen before and hope to never see again!”
*Please click ON the photos if you wish to see a larger, more detailed picture.

Slidell, Louisiana… storm surge and massive wind damage.
 

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Slidell... there are no words	Slidell, LA	Slidell, LA
Slidell, LA	Slidell, LA	Slidell rebuilding begins

Slidell, screened in porch slid into Canal w/the surge	Got Work?	This house lost more than just that screened in porch.
A more personal side.	Again, the personal side.	Slidell, neighborhood on Canal

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Gulfport, Mississippi… very close to the Eye of the storm.  LARGE storm surge from the Gulf, flooding everywhere and the entire shore just flattened.  No photos of the shoreline are displayed, but almost identical photos are below in the Orleans Parish section of New Orleans.

Billboards off the I-10 in MS... miles of freeway billboards were destroyed.	Gulfport neighborhood w/lots of damage	Gulfport, MS... boats stranded off the freeway.
Gulfport... new homes.	Gulfport... one of THREE yachts found in the middle of a large cemetary.

 

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NHRA Pro Stock Driver Richie Stevens’ neighborhood in one of the hardest hit areas of New Orleans: St. Bernard Parish.
This area was so destroyed that only residents and members of the media were allowed to enter.  We had to show media credentials to get beyond the National Guard & NOPD.

St. Bernard Parish, just one home down from Richie Stevens' house.	Richie's house completely flooded w/oil, toxic water, mud.  He had just moved in one month before the storm hit.	Just across the street from Richie's place, a tornado ripped the entire front off of this house. Then there was mud and oil flooding on top of the mess.
A view through Richie's busted out front door to the hallway and family room (under 8+ inches of muck).	Richie's 'brand new' garage.	Front window of Richie's home.
Water marks on Richie's house... they came up to my shoulder, which would make them almost 5 feet high!	More across the street from Richie where the tornado blew through.	Richie's back yard.
St. Bernard Parish, Richie's neighborhood... the path of the tornado.	St. Bernard Parish, Richie's neighborhood	Water marks on van in RS's street.
House that floated off it's foundation & landed in the middle of the street... no lot could be found from where this house once existed.	More of the neighborhood, once someone's front yard.	More of the neighborhood...
One of MANY groups of cars in the neighborhood...	More of the neighborhood... this is the foundation of a home blown to pieces.	More on the stranded house.

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THE most devastated area in New Orleans: Orleans Parish & the Lower 9th Ward.  Residents were not even allowed back into this area yet… ONLY Military, City Officials and Media, where again we were required to show the proper credentials to proceed.  They first received some of the worst winds of Katrina, plus possible tornados and then of course the barge that broke the levy and flooded this section of town.  After all of that tragedy, this area is virtually no longer in existence… from what we were told, quite similar to the coastline of Mississippi (Gulfport & Biloxi).  Pictures here are of a neighborhood of more than 100 houses now wiped off the map.

9th Ward & Orleans Parish	9th Ward & Orleans Parish	9th Ward & Orleans Parish
9th Ward & Orleans Parish	9th Ward & Orleans Parish	9th Ward & Orleans Parish
9th Ward & Orleans Parish	9th Ward & Orleans Parish	9th Ward & Orleans Parish
9th Ward & Orleans Parish	9th Ward & Orleans Parish	9th Ward & Orleans Parish

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Here are some other photos... Bourbon St. in downtown New Orleans almost abandoned, besides the media, National Guard, NOPD and some random locals.

Bourbon St. New Orleans... abandoned

Downtown New Orleans, Canal Street cars destroyed by falling bricks

Bourbon Street's new normal after Hurricane Katrina

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Here is a great neighborhood on the banks of Lake Ponchartrain, on the more northern side of Orleans Parish.  Beautiful area north of downtown, now coated in brown muck from the toxic waters.
 

New Orleans, Lakeview Neighborhood... check out the water line on the houses

Another water marked Lakeview home

Lakeview muck and downed trees... both the new normal of the neighborhood

Just another Lakeview uprooted 100 yr. old tree

PLEASE continue to help these people… PLEASE realize that this horror is not going away any time soon, if ever for some.  A FEMA representative estimated that it would be at least 10 years to clean up the mess and begin to get back to normal in New Orleans and the coastlines of LA, MS, TX & AL.  TEN years people!!!!!  It is hard to fathom, I know, but after witnessing the destruction this week, I can tell you it is entirely possible to take even longer than 10 years.

TV did not do these areas justice… this was the worst of anything I have seen in my entire life.

PLEASE help these residents for years to come!

Without being overly political, I would just like to advise that you be mindful when you give your money.  Giving time may be the best way to help these people as that is an immediate improvement action.  It is sad, but beyond FEMA's troubles, they are just overloaded with last year's rash of Florida hurricanes and now this year's record-setting storm season that they are extremely slow in providing aid.  I did not run into one person in the Gulf Coast who supported the Red Cross because several of them never saw any representatives from the Red Cross... never!  Then as of Oct. 5, the Humane Society had pulled all of it's people from the region while telling the city of New Orleans that they could not go any further.
 
But it's not just New Orleans where the complaints were coming from... and it's not just the poor folks, either.  It's EVERYONE!!  In my personal opinion only, with what I witnessed this week, I feel that maybe the larger the charity, the less your donation will make a direct impact.  After witnessing some of the smaller, extremely heartfelt organizations that gave their all to rub two pennies together to make a difference, I urge you to be careful when you give.  Besides giving time and supporting the smaller charities who are out on the front lines after the big guys pull out, it would be wise to adopt a family or an individual or even a pet.  Adopt them, give to them DIRECTLY and help them with whatever they need in the holidays this year... stay with them, make a new friend and help them through the rough times when they are forgotten due to another devastation in the world in a few years.  Please, just think about it.

Some charities I support and would love for you to join me:

Mutt Shack Animal Rescue: www.muttshack.org

Starwood Hotels: Hurricane Relief

President's Bush & Clinton International Fund: www.bushclintonkatrinafund.org

I am also currently doing research on how to adopt a family or individual for the holidays and beyond... please email me if you would like that information in order to make a direct difference for someone in need.

Questions/Comments, contact CrashG@SpeedFreaks.TV

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