Larry Kraus [LK], age 46, is a Katrina/Rita survivor from Kenner a small city connected to New Orleans, Louisiana. Larry was born in Florida, was brought to Algiers, Louisiana (New Orleans, West Bank) by his parents, where he grew up with his twin sister, another sister and a brother. He left New Orleans for a good job in Houston at age 23.Twenty-two years later, he worked really hard to get a good job to return to New Orleans to be closer to his parents who were having health issues. He managed to get back to New Orleans to live in February of 2005 only to have the hurricane strike six months later. LK talked about the good feeling and memories he has for New Orleans from growing up there. He described how he was pleased to be returning finally and how he enjoyed spending more time with his family, parents, siblings and nephews.

The onset of the storm worried him before his mother whom he was actively trying to evacuate. He talked about his job and how no one including him was worried on Friday before the storm hit and how it struck him as so very odd after the fact. He described his mother’s insistent indifference and trust in the storm to change directions at the last minute. When she was finally convinced that they should leave it was very late, Sunday evening. Part of I-10 was shut off to them and they had to go toward Jackson, Mississippi first. That three hour drive/distance took them fifteen hours. They headed toward Shreveport, Louisiana and then back down to Houston.

The worst part of the storm for Larry took its toll emotionally. The physical relocation back to his home city of more than twenty years was relatively easy with his friends around. Work was relatively easy to find, a place to live, shelter for their dogs. And temporarily he stayed with friends, so he never stayed in public shelters or hotels.

Emotionally he was a wreck for a time. As of this interview he said that he is much better. Not the same as before but he is out of the fog and the initial shock that remained with him for months. Some of the fears still remain with him with regard to the city of New Orleans, because of its lack of health facilities, because both of his parents have returned to their New Orleans homes. He’s disappointed that he really can’t get back to his family in New Orleans even though he likes it here and is comfortable and somewhat secure. But he is hopeful that the city of New Orleans will better its conditions and return to its better self.

He credits Hurricane Katrina for bringing his family closer together. He didn’t feel as close to them growing up as he now felt. It was beginning before the storm that he was trying to reconnect, which was part of his reason for returning. But the storm blasted the city and made him even more aware of the need to be closer. He’s always been sensitive to certain things sights and sounds that emotionally charge him. He credits the event of Hurricane Katrina and how he survived it with being more vocal about his feelings and thoughts. He credits the storm with having an overall very sobering effect on him and how he goes through his life now. And the fact that he makes the conscious decision to keep focused on the positive reactions to the hurricane that he experienced and witnessed.