Summary

Mauricio Castro comments about surviving Hurricane Katrina at sea in the Gulf of Mexico, he shares his experience of holding on to his bed and not being able to stand up and praying to God for his family, and accepting his death if it were to come at that moment. He shares his history from migrating to the US and what life has been since. He also comments on the role that God has played in his life.

Summary

Mirta Castro speaks of what life was like in New Orleans before the hurricane and the process of migrating to the United States. She speaks of God’s role and how grateful she is to him for all that she was able to gain. She speaks extensively of her evacuation journey and a variety of issues including transferring and adapting to Houston and what it felt like to loose everything.

Summary Valerie Lee, age 19, originally from Dallas, TX lived at Xavier University in Third Ward, New Orleans, Louisiana, and is now living at the University of Houston as a result of Hurricane Katrina. She speaks about life in New Orleans, playing volleyball, the community from which she came from in New Orleans and the decision to evacuate with friends to Beaumont from the hurricane. She elaborates on evacuating to Beaumont, attending SMU and then relocating to Houston. She details the moving...

Summary Ashley Noah [AN], age 19, is a Rita survivor from Beaumont, Texas. As Rita approached the coast, AN had been visiting her home from her first year at the University of Houston. She planned originally to remain in Beaumont with her mother while Rita moved through Houston, but after the storm’s path shifted to Beaumont, she evacuated to Dallas and then The Woodlands. AN describes returning to Beaumont to find her house storm-damaged, including her bedroom. She and her family received some...

Summary Clementina Nunez [CN], age 18, is a Katrina survivor from The Boondocks, New Orleans, Louisiana; she lived with her mother and aunt in an apartment. CN talks about the week before the hurricane and signing up for classes and how they were planning to move; how that Friday was the last day she saw her friends and how the category kept on changing. She shares her experience of seeking shelter and moving through Louisiana in search of temporary housing and more shelter. On this journey, after...