Marie Barney [MB], age 69, told me she didn’t know how bad Hurricane Katrina was expected to be even as late as Saturday evening. She was distracted with the death and funeral of her late husband, Clarence Lyle Barney, Jr. [CB]. The funeral was held the day before she and her family evacuated. Her youngest son had a friend who got them reservations. They stayed at the hotel until they realized it would be a while and they decided to get an apartment with the help of the same friend who got the hotel reservations.

MB remains in Houston and her son returns on weekends from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was in Louisiana when Hurricane Rita struck and MB evacuated on her own to a niece near Dallas. After the scare was over, she returned to her Houston apartment and may or may not remain here. While she’s here she wants to take advantage of the great things that this city has to offer.

She remains torn about returning to Louisiana but being here is still very much about her, just surviving, going on. She said that’s lonely and she needs more so she wants to find volunteer work to do, to be more fulfilled.