Residents recall huricane experiences

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Hurricane Katrina affected people in different ways one year agotoday.

Many people around town Monday were quick to mention howHurricane Katrina may have changed their lives. Others were a bithesitant, and maybe those memories were just too painful todiscuss.

Two neighbors from Silver Creek reminded one another of theobvious loss in this area.

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“We were out of water for one week and lights for two weeks,”said Ceyann Davis as she shopped with Jackie Strauther.

Ethel Havard, another local shopper, said her family had adifficult time as well.

“Probably the biggest way we were affected was the food welost,” Havard said. “Also, my husband is self-employed, and it wasa really slow time for him. He is in financial services.”

Harriet Parker, of Brookhaven, was fortunate by not losingmuch.

“My window was blown out of my house. But it hurt the most tosee all the people who were deserted in New Orleans,” Parker said.”I would have thought that the government would have done more andmuch quicker.”

Dashika Burnett, of Brookhaven, had a tough time during thehurricane as well.

“I have two kids, so it was hard because of the little food wedid have had to be cooked quickly,” said Burnett.

Two women in Brookhaven faced pregnancy during last year’scrisis. They had a difficult time without water, electricity andgas.

Haley Board, who was seven-and-a-half months pregnant at thetime, was fortunate to not have much physical damage at herresidence.

“We were lucky to just a few trees down around the house,” saidBoard.

Nakei Lilly was six months pregnant and has two other kids. Sheremembered the heat being the worst part.

“We were so grateful that we didn’t lose anything that couldn’tbe replaced. We hope we never see anything like that again,” Lillysaid.

Co-Lin student Josh Cowart, 21, of Brookhaven, may have beendismissed from school but recalled still having to go to work. Hewas concerned with the limited supply of gas and trying to get tohis job.

The most memorable situation Cowart spoke of was hisgrandfather.

“I just remember my grandpaw had trouble getting his medicinethen,” Cowart said.

Lisa Givens and her two daughters Chastity and Hope stayed inthe hospital when the hurricane hit. Hope had been admitted justbefore the storm, and Chastity spent her birthday there.

“I was off of work with a knee injury, and I was delayed gettingto a doctor’s appointment in Hattiesburg. I was out of work a lotlonger than I was supposed to be,” Lisa Givens said.

Brookhaven’s Heather Blissett and her son Haize were out of townat the beginning of the storm.

“By the time we got back, all the stores were closed and we wereout of diapers!” said Blissett.

Deidra Jones, of Franklin County, and Elaina Joe Smith, ofBrookhaven, took time from shopping to tell how they were affected.Jones, 17, mostly feels grateful.

“It made me appreciate electricity and the small things in lifea lot more,” said Jones.

Smith, also 17, has a schoolmate and friend that was from NewOrleans.

“My friend lost her home. It made me appreciate everything Ihave. I am so thankful I have a home,” Smith said.

One young man said he found it difficult going back to workoffshore.

Paul Coker, 23, of Brookhaven, had to do lots of repairs on hisoil rig in the Gulf. Coker stayed busy during last year’sstorm.

“Another thing I did was volunteer at Highway 84 Chevron. I alsocut down trees for Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department,” saidCoker.

Albert Peets, of Brookhaven, felt a big loss of $80,000 intimber. He also had another problem.

“The hurricane put a limb though our house,” said Peets, wholives on Mt. Zion Road in Wesson.

Store owner Pat Hennington had significant damages to hisbusiness on Whitworth Avenue.

“We were closed for three days. We had major damage to thisbuilding and inventory…it was raining inside,” said Hennington ofProgressive Men’s Shop.

Janie Barnett, of Janie’s Pastry and also on Whitworth Avenue,had concerns for her grandchildren who lived with her at the time.Her grandchildren had just celebrated birthdays and will alwaysremember Hurricane Katrina.

“If it starts to cloud up now, the kids begin to panic,” saidBarnett.

One year after Katrina, things are getting back to normal andmost repairs have been made. But the memories will remain.

All residents can agree to one thing. They hope to never seeanother hurricane like Katrina ever again.