I had a chance to visit my parents this weekend in Pensacola. I’ve come to realize that some of the worst is still yet to come. My parents are very stessed. My father looked ten years older (and he’s 81). They are coming to the realization that the house is probaly not repairable. My brother tells me that our parents had sort of a breakdown last night. I won’t give details of a private family matter, but it wasn’t pretty. Unfortunately, this morning, I had to pass on the word to them that our Aunt Betty Jane died of her cancer. They were very close to her.
My mother was so looking forward to staying with us in a condo on the beach. She had spent all week grocery shopping so she could enjoy cooking for us and just being a Mom. Even though Rita was 500 miles away, the tide and surf were so high that our cars would get water in them if we stayed there (not to mention the sandblasting we were getting from the 25-30 knot wind picking up the beach sand). Right when my Mom was cooking dinner (and seeming happier than she’s been lately) we had to tell her we had to move. My parents went back to my brother’s house, while my wife, daughter and I got a hotel room on the other end of the island (higher ground). We made the best of our visit, though, and enjoyed going out to dinner for a couple of nights.
However, things may get worse before they get better. They want to get back to the house and see if they can salvage my mother’s jewelry and other valuables and memorabelia (if a looter hasn’t gotten there first). They also just want to assess the situation. Several of their friends got into their houses last week (most had to sneak in, as our neighborhood is still closed). My parents and brother were going to go there last week. First they wanted to get into my father’s office in Metarie where there was no flooding and things are about back to normal. He has some important paperwork there, not to mention the blueprints for the flooded house. From there, they were going to attempt to get to the house. But then Rita came. Nobody would be able to get to even the non flooded areas.
By the way, Rita didn’t re-flood our house.
When can they get home and see the damage first hand? Can it be repaired? Where can you get a contractor, even if you can afford one, when so many houses need to be repaired or rebuilt? When you are elderly, is it worth it? What will it be like to see family pictures, diplomas, furniture, and all the things you’ve collected for all of your life covered in mud and silt?
These are just a few of the problems for one family. What about the tens of thousands of people in the same situation as my parents? I am coming to realize that the stress coming in the future for all of the people who suffered from Katrina and Rita may be worse than the stroms themselves. We need to continue to pray for all of the people affected by these storms.
