Henry, 59 and his mother Dorothy, 82, are both native to New Orleans, Louisiana. Henry insisted that his mother be a part of the interview because she was such a big part of what he went through, so while Henry is the main storyteller Dorothy shares her experiences in the beginning and end of the interview. Although Henry was scheduled to work the day before the storm his concern for the safety of his mother and his family members moves him to not go to work but rather make sure his mother was in a safer place than at her house. After the storm Henry recalls the day when water started to rise and he took measures to get several people, including his mother and other family members, out of the projects on a mattress. Once on the bridge they were in need of food and water because, to their surprise, no one was going come to help them so they had to go out and find food and water. Eventually the get to the Superdome where they are evacuated to the Reliant Center, and somewhere along the way his mother is hospitalized. Houston has been able to provide a lot for Dorothy’s special needs as an elderly woman but Henry looks forward to returning to New Orleans and fixing his house so they have some place to return to.