Out of Katrina’s Wreckage

How a Mississippian Came to Santa Barbara

By Kat Carter

Having grown up in southern Florida, I
was familiar with the power of a hurricane. I thought that was
behind me when I moved to Mississippi in 2001. People there didn’t
seem too worried when June would roll around. When Hurricane
Katrina first formed and headed for Florida, my concern was for old
friends and family in my home state. When Katrina made landfall
there as a Category One, she knocked out power, tore off some
roofs, and caused minimal flooding, but everyone in my circle was
safe. We assumed Katrina would dissipate after making landfall,
like most hurricanes.

A few days later, on Saturday, August 27, I awoke to a
beautiful, sunny morning in Waveland, Mississippi. My partner
Debbie was buzzing around frantically, as news reached us that the
hurricane was turning in our direction. I turned the TV channel to
the weather station and stared blankly at the massive circle of
power headed straight for us. I watched for a while, then had to
turn it off.