[dropcap style=”light” size=”3″]F[/dropcap]reshman Kanchan Hans was only a three-year-old toddler when Hurricane Katrina threatened to strike her hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Her family still remembers its rapid progression from a mere tropical depression to a Category Five Hurricane that would turn out to be the most damaging natural disaster in U.S. history, causing $108 billion in losses over the course of its existence. As the storm began nearing New Orleans, her family grew increasingly worried and was eventually left with no choice but to evacuate the area, hoping that everything would turn out to be okay.
“I can’t remember the specific details, but I can recall what happened through my family’s stories. About four days before we evacuated, we weren’t that worried, but we were keeping a close eye on the news. Then, around two days before we left, we started making preparations, such as stocking up on food in the refrigerator and making sure we had enough water and alternative sources of power. At this point, we were just following the weather channels, and none of them called for an evacuation,” Hans said. “Then two days before the actual storm hit, we weren’t sure what to do. The weather was getting worse, and we were getting scared. Being new to the city of New Orleans, we didn’t know anyone that could help us, so we left.”
A month after Katrina hit, Hans’ family returned to the city. Much to their shock, the New Orleans they left had become unrecognizable. Entire buildings were flooded to the roof, thousands of homes were completely destroyed, and water was everywhere, as if the city had transformed into a river with people still in it, struggling to survive. Meanwhile, they found their apartment heavily damaged, with many of their possessions ruined from the flooding. Needless to say, the scene was a disaster.
“Most places to eat and grocery stores were closed. We had to stand in lines for hours for just one roll of toilet paper, a few bottles of water or cans of food,” Hans said. “My father, a scientist, had years of research destroyed because the basement of the lab he worked in was flooded. All of our food was spoiled because the storm took out the city’s electricity. Our clothes were destroyed because mold grew all over our house due to the water seeping in, and we had to stay in our damaged house until it was fixed four to six months later.”
Hans’ family began their recovery. Throughout that time, they were grateful for any help they could get. Hans acknowledges that they wouldn’t have recovered as well if it weren’t for the aid of the numerous humanitarian organizations providing relief throughout the area, including the American Red Cross and Sewa International. The latter, a Hindu humanitarian organization based in Houston, supported Hans’ family with food and financial aid as they attempted to get back on their feet.