First of all, I want to say my heart goes out to the Katrina victims. Compared to their losses, the hurricanes that hit Florida were a walk in the park, HOWEVER...a few things must be made known.
Our President Bush took the blame for what happened in New Orleans. But you know what? When a hurricane is out in the gulf of Mexico, it isn't the President of the United States who knocks on doors telling people to evacuate. It's local officials, not govenors, not even mayors, it's local people like firemen and police.
First to evacuate are the barrier islands, and it isn't done when you're under the winds of a hurricane, it's done when it's an approach of a hurricane, perhaps during the warning time. Then the low lying areas, mobile homes, elderly, hospitals, etc. In an order! With a plan. I can't believe hospital officials didn't take it in their own hands for the safety of their patients!
The govenor of Louisiana though, should be blamed for much for not having not only a plan in place, WAY ahead of time, but put into action in an organized fashion. Florida is very lucky to have Govenor Bush when a hurricane hits. The difference in pre-action is amazing. The television reports are alarming to residents, evacuation routes are already signed in advance on the roads, stores are stocked with supplies you need, local preventative measures in the way of brochures are given to people ahead of time in grocery bags. There are pages in the phone book of what to do in case of severe weather. The difference is prevention.
I was only 3 miles away from the eye of Hurricane Charley. Hurricane Charley for those of you who don't know is the one who was supposed to hit Tampa, but instead took a severe, quick turn onto Sanibel Island and went up the Charlotte Harbor, which is only minutes from my house. We had VERY little warning. What about all the planning I was writing about? Well, it was all in place for TAMPA. TAMPA was majorly evacuated, we had the warnings to put in outside furniture, be prepared for some high winds, have supplies handy, have pets secured, barrier islands (like Sanibel Island which was hit BAD) were evacuated ahead of time (thank God).
So for what we thought as per our weather reports, we were prepared. But weather reports can be wrong, we are dealing with a force of nature here! A hurricane can be like a butterfly. It can go one way, be on a path, and then suddenly turn course.
I remember August 13, 2004. I was on my computer, but had the tv on for coverage. When I heard it hit Sanibel Island, (it still wasn't even raining outside our place) I took my dogs out to do their business and then prepared thier area. I then put blankets and pillows in the only closet we had which had no outside walls.
Then the news hit that it was heading up to the Charlotte Harbor. And onto Edgewater Drive, which is only four blocks from my home. Could we leave in time? NO! You had to hunker down the best you could. Bridges were already closed. No way out. Trapped? We didn't know for sure how hard it would hit.
Suddenly winds really started to pick up. We took the cat and sat in the closet. The rain came. But not just rain. It sounded like an nail gun on the windows, pow, pow, pow! We heard the tiles being ripped from the roof. Could hear trees snapping outside. My husband had his body placed against the closet door and he said, 'You can't imagine the force.' I was praying.
When the eye passed, we left the closet and I told my husband to not open any outside door or window because it changes the air pressure in the house. He went and applied his hand to the sliding glass door during this time, the calmest part before the winds rip from the other direction, and he told me, you can feel the glass vibrating.
When it was all done with, our screened lanai was torn apart, but still intact (the only one on the street.). Trees were down all over. A powerline was drapped across what was left of our roof, which was down to bare plywood. The street looked like a scene from a WWII movie. Litter everywhere. Shingles from everyone's homes scattered. A piece of aluminum was forced and daggered into a garage door across the street. Palm trees were bent over. Tree tops were gone. The mess was overwhelming to look at. Our grill fell into our pool. (What a mess, I won't even go there.)
After the storm was over, we went out to the garage to check on our dogs, and they were all huddled in the smallest cage together, scared...and we comforted them. They were okay though. We managed to get a generator the next day from a friend a few towns away so they had fans on them at least in the 90 degree heat of the day, but it was hot. We drove two towns away to get ice just for the dogs, and to get gas for the generator. It was to be a daily ritual for a week until we had power. When the national guard came in, then I got my ice there, and I put it in a large kiddy pool I had, let it melt for the dogs, and it kept the floor cool too as well. They were okay, not spoiled as normal, but more in survival mode. (I had plenty of food for them.)
But we were lucky...wow were we lucky. When we finally got down to Edgewater Drive the next couple of days, we were alarmed at what we saw. It looked like something out of a horror show. All you could do was cry for total strangers knowing very well, it could have been you...just a few blocks. Homes had no roofs, windows blown out, telephone poles layed on houses, cars scattered on their sides, just horrific.
But you look around you and wonder, 'Where do you start?'
You have no power, no phone service (not even cel phones, over 300 towers went down in the storm, you had to go two towns away before they worked.)
Thank God for digital cameras. You take pictures of the devastation for the insurance company, then you begin the awesome task of clean up. To give you an idea, I picked up seven large green garbage bags of shingles from my front yard alone. In the HEAT of the scorching sun. My husband had his company put a waterproof paint filler on the roof to protect our house from further damage. I won't get into details of all the cleanup, but it was awesome.
You do clap and put a smile on your face when you see the national guard come in. (Not shoot at them.)
And things change. You see disaster relief trucks, the Red Cross and Salvation army on nearly every corner. Temporary booths set up for insurance companies to do claims. Twisted metal everywhere, signage blown out, no traffic lights.
Guess what? The community rebuilds, slowly. There are still homes untouched. It took us six months to get a new roof. We called from our hotel room (which you can't call any local businesses because THEY all got hit), for needed repairs and when I called to get an estimate, the girl told me we were on page 23 of legal pads full of requests, it will be weeks if not months for any action. Patience was something you quickly learned. See, many of the workers, lost their homes too. Familiar frequented places of business GONE.
Yes, we hear about Katrina, but we didn't have a tenth of the publicity they had. I didn't see Dr. Phil come to our town. Nor Oprah, nor T.D. Jakes. But widespread depression hit, post traumatic depression hit, families who got along great were not in divorce mode. It's stressful. VERY.
But somehow, you survive. Your mind goes into survival mode.
We didn't have nearly the damage as Katrina had, but let me tell you, I could tell you of how my best friend and her family of four kids and her husband spent six weeks in their bedroom because it was the only useable room in the house. When the insurance finally did kick in, her family of six stayed in a 35 foot trailer for two years while their home was being repaired, and they are STILL waiting on things. Since 2004!
My heart really does go out to the kids of New Orleans and surrounding areas most. Their lives will be changed forever.
But Dr. Phil, honestly, if you want to do a story, pick the one with the most coverage. I won't even go into the story of another friend on the east coast who lost two homes in two hurricanes within two weeks.
Dr. Phil, your efforts are to be commended and praised, but honestly, you should focus on ALL hurricane victims, not just Katrina, what a total insult to victims of hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jean, etc. Do we not matter? Do you know the numbers before Hurricane Jean hit that year is four out of five homes in the state of Florida were hit already? THE whole state was hit that year, not just one town.
I could only wish that you could talk to the survivors of the Florida hurricanes for equal coverage, that's all.
I thank you for all you've done, especially for the children of Katrina. I know I wrote you before to include my friend who has four kids who were hit from Hurricane Charley, and your audience coordinator called her with the wonderful news that your staff was flying her out there, placing her in a hotel, etc. They received all the wonderful gifts you gave out on that Christmas show. Let me tell you, it lifted their spirits. You have NO idea how much it lifted their spirits. And it's what you CAN do...so I acknowledge it.
I truly think though, that you should focus on a DISASTER relief program, not just Katrina. You're slighting so many people that way. You have brought so much focus on a need, and there is so much more you could do. Just give it some thought is all I ask.
Thank you for allowing me to air my thoughts.
Sincerely, Kathleen of Port Charlotte
Dr. Phil travels back to New Orleans, one year after Hurricane Katrina wiped out entire neighborhoods. He meets with FEMA director David Paulison to see first hand how the city is progressing. Touring the temporary housing in a trailer park, Dr. Phil and David hear from residents about their frustrations with FEMA. Then, Dr. Phil meets with a couple who says they had a picture perfect marriage, until Hurricane Katrina destroyed their lives. Brent and Stephanie relive the horror of what they witnessed a year ago. How is the stress of trying to rebuild their lives affecting their marriage and the health of their 2-year-old daughter? Then, Dr. Phil meets with Police Chief Warren Reilly in the Lower Ninth Ward, a neighborhood that was decimated when the levees broke. How is the rebuilding of the levees coming along? How is the mental and emotional health of the New Orleans police officers? Then, you’ve got the best seats in the house at a huge concert event to raise money for the first responders and their families. Brian McKnight, Brooks & Dunn, Jeff Foxworthy and Allen Toussaint come out to show New Orleans a good time in support of New Orleans Police Department, Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services. Talk about the show here.
