“So Many People Lost Everything”

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the southeastern United States. In Mississippi, the storm—with wind speeds topping 120 miles per hour—destroyed almost everything in its path. Massive flooding occurred too. Katrina caused more than 230 deaths and billions of dollars of damage in Mississippi alone.

At the time Katrina hit, my cousin Monica Lewis-Carter was a nurse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She chose to leave her family and head south to Mississippi to help, not knowing what to expect when she arrived. I interviewed her about the experience.

Were you able to keep in touch with your family?
We had limited access to a computer, so we were able to email home.

How was your experience during the four weeks you spent in Kiln?
It was very heartbreaking and humbling. We were complete strangers sleeping in the same room, guarded by military police. It was not uncommon to hear someone crying in the middle of the night.

Homes and families had been destroyed. The school was covered in photos of family members who had gone missing during the hurricane. There was an increase in crime, and several stores and homes were looted.

What were some of the thoughts and feelings that went through your mind while you were there?
It was the first time I was ever away from my family. I was very nervous and at times afraid. The school was in a very isolated area. But under the circumstances, it was so important to me to stay positive and encourage everyone else!

To help, I would organize the children in the gym and do crafts with them, using whatever supplies we could find. Sometimes we played basketball. It gave the children an opportunity to experience some normalcy in the midst of tragedy. It also kept them occupied and gave the parents time to regroup and plan what to do next.

Would you do it again if given the chance?
Yes! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one I was very honored to be a part of.

Layna’s conclusion: Hurricane Katrina devastated so many communities. The town of Kiln was no longer recognizable. Many families’ lives were uprooted in a matter of hours. So many people lost everything. They had very little food and water, and nowhere to go. If not for the help of my cousin Monica and all the other volunteers, the death toll could have been much higher. In times of disaster, people do really come together and help in any way they can.