I’ve lived in New Orleans all my life and have dealt with many hurricanes; some bad, most not so bad. I didn’t have a “light bulb” moment, a revelation or epiphany during Isaac but I did learn some things. But first I’ll summarize what I consider is important to know about hurricanes and then I’ll tackle Isaac.
Houzz recently had a timely ideabook about disaster preparedness you may want to review.
Betsy-1965. We lived in the house I live in today-a converted barn with lots of French doors and a big screened porch which provided cross-ventilation. We were without power for a week and literally lived on that screened porch. I had a 6 month old baby and there was diaper service but no disposable diapers, and no instant formula. We had a milkman who stopped every day to see if I needed a bottle (glass) of milk and a chunk of ice to put in a cooler to keep it cool. I had a gas stove. My neighbors didn’t. I cooked all their frozen food-roasts, pies, etc. My kitchen was hotter than Hades! While we were eating “high on the hog”, people in flooded areas across town were hungry.
Katrina, The Big One-2005. The only hurricane for which I ever evacuated. I watched from Atlanta as my beloved city drowned in waters from failed, ill-constructed and poorly maintained canals. Society was more sophisticated by 2005. I just kept calling my phone and when I got the answer machine, we knew the power was back on. All types of services were spotty at first but things slowly (all too, I think) returned to a degree of normalcy if you ignore the empty business, homes and hospitals still vacant after seven years.
We’ve had a few hurricanes since then but nothing memorable until last week when Isaac came to town and it wasn’t even categorized as major. It was slow arriving, stalled and then was slow leaving at 6 miles per hour. I have never before been in a hurricane lasting 52 hours and dumping flooding rain and winds on an area already soaked from rains the previous week . All our sophisticated knowledge couldn’t do one thing to control that event! But, because of the technology, I can stay 2 blog posts ahead of schedule during hurricane season from June to November. The other things I do during hurricane season include filling the tank with gas when it gets to half empty, never, never having a full freezer and keepong $500 in cash on hand! I’m writing this in Word on September 4th and hope to have internet, cable and land line restored by next week. My cell and my car are the only means of communication right now. I can read my emails, but can’t reply. Here’s where my internet and land line connection currently resides, tied with a yellow rope.
Specifically, from Isaac I learned that generosity can come back to bite you. I invited 2 friends who did not have garages to park their cars in my 4-car garage where they would be a lot safer and none of us would have to ride out the storm alone. We did just fine until 4 a.m. on the 29th when the neighbor’s water-logged tree uprooted taking another tree and 4 utility poles with it and blocking my driveway and the street.
Those safely housed cars in the garage were trapped and not set free until Sunday when the power company cleared the tree from the driveway to move their heavy equipment in to replace the poles.
Remember the gas stove I mentioned above? I still have a gas stove so we had some really nice meals including wine with everything prepared on 4 stove top burners. I was determined not to heat up the kitchen by using the oven. I’m now thinking about writing a cookbook titled “Creative Crisis Cooking By Candlelight”.
People here are resilient and bounce back from adversity. It’s important to return to normalcy as soon as possible so a week after Isaac I attended a packed house concert in City Park. The 18 member New Leviathan Oriental Fox -Trot Orchestra who were dressed formally in tails had everyone tapping their toes and dancing to fox trots and quick steps.
Sunday, September 8-I have internet now! It’s a beautiful day with a cool breeze which is a blessing for those still without power. The only reminders of Isaac are sensual; the changed topography and the acrid smell resulting from the stump grinding next door.
– Lorre Lei
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