Ten Years Ago Today

[dreamflower]

We've been hearing about it all week: the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I usually make this post in the morning, but had to go to work early. All evening there have been images of the disaster on TV.

People react differently. The DH can't bear to be reminded, but I seek out reminders actively--I simply cannot allow myself to forget. I remember those days, holed up without power with marigoldg's mother and our dogs, my husband only sporadically able to come home.

The following images are not the ones that you will see on TV. These are my personal images, taken at what was our home at the time. Fortunately the vast majority of our damage was outside our home. We had friends and family, however, who were not so lucky.











Those are just a few of the pictures. You can see more of them on this post if you want to.

I kept a diary during those long days with no power and no communication. For those of you who are new to my flist, you may not have seen it:
My Hurricane Katrina Diary.

The three fics in my Buckland Flood series are all connected to my memories of Katrina, especially "Hobbit Aid", which was written immediately after the storm and "Lesson Learned", which was written before the storm, and felt almost prophetic at the time.

Ten years ago tonight, I was just miserably trying to cope, and found inspiration in these words:

Beyond all shadows rides the Sun,
And stars forever dwell.
I will not say the day is done,
Nor bid the stars farewell.

And I will never ever forget all the thoughts, prayers, friendship and yes, even material help, that I received from my LJ friends!

Comments

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've read your diary before. Thank you so much for sharing it.

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

It was horrible... :(

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

Your diary was so powerful.

My stomach clenches and my throat fills whenever I see images from Katrina still, and I wasn't even in it. And anniversaries are powerful emotional beasts, however much time has passed. *hugs*

But I know what you mean about how different people react differently to things. Some people need to forget, some people need to immerse themselves, to remind them, perhaps, of the defining moments/imagery, etc. that changed them forever, if that makes any sense at all.

[dreamflower]

Keeping the diary was one of the things that kept me sane; but I knew I would have to share it with the friends I had made here.

[dreamflower]

Yes, it really was.

[dreamflower]

But I know what you mean about how different people react differently to things. Some people need to forget, some people need to immerse themselves, to remind them, perhaps, of the defining moments/imagery, etc. that changed them forever, if that makes any sense at all.

Exactly. So many times, memories just in your head will kind of morph. Having the tangible evidence of what actually happened seems, at least to me, helps to know those memories are true ones and not just the way I imagined them.

[shirebound]

You're the one I think about when I hear the name Katrina. We were clinging so fiercely to any news of you and the others that day! Ten years... unbelievable.

*continues to cling to you fiercely*

[(Anonymous)]

*clings back*

It was my experience with Katrina that made me understand that friends on LJ ARE real friends! It always irritates me when people say "Oh, they are just online friends, they aren't REAL friends!"

In Katrina all my RL friends had their own issues to deal with. It was my LJ friends that made me feel truly cared about.

[dreamflower]

That was me. I got an update last night, and apparently it signed me out of everything!

[shirebound]

I went through that a few days ago!

And it just happened again! :(

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I am grateful to you for keeping that diary and sharing it here. It must have helped you a bit to be able to write down your feelings and observations. I remember feeling so helpless and grief-stricken, though I donated what I could to a couple of sites for aid to people and homeless animals. Nothing felt like enough.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness. Thank you for linking back to your diary. I remember the fears about LJ friends, waiting for them to check in, and also the LJ friends who had family they were desperate to get news from. Fortunately everyone I knew at least got through it alive.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Hugs.

[dreamflower]

It did help immensely. It's also helped me to keep more clear memories of what actually happened to me.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. When I had my terrible experience in 2008, my LJ friends helped me more than they will ever know, just by being here. I did not yet know you while you were going through Katrina (I think I read your diary a few years after), but I know that it was one of those defining experiences in life, where there was life before and life after and they were not the same. *hugs*

[febobe.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[sian22redux.livejournal.com]

Hugs to you Dreamflower. There was a v moving piece in our national paper today showing how the lower 9th has not fully recovered.

I am so glad to hear that writing helped...I have found the same for me w difficult events in my life. {{{dreamflower}}}

[ysilme]

You talked about this before, and linked some of these images. It send chills down my spine as it does now.... thank you also for offering your diary to read! I've read it about half through so far, and it was hard to read something so dire, knowing the person who wrote it... I still remember or shock and dismay about Katrina and what followed, and how we were glued to the TV, hoping and praying for the victims.
Thank you so much for sharing this, and for reminding me, too. ***hugs***