“Tales from Katrina and Recovery Efforts”
By Lynn Zerschling, QI of Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.A.
Reprinted with permission from the Sioux City Journal
Originally published September 6, 2005

Blood, sweat and tears.

The stories and televised accounts of the horrors thousands along the Gulf Coast face in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are almost too much to take in because the scope is so vast; the devastation so total. Each person has a story. Here are three more tales from the storm and ways you can help.

From Bay St. Louis, Miss.: Enola Peters, who is the office manager of Siouxland Hematology-Oncology in Sioux City, finally talked to her sister last Thursday.

"I'm alive and covered in mud," Niann Cooper told Enola.

She had borrowed a telephone to get the brief message back to Iowa. She couldn't use her phone because the cell towers were destroyed.

Enola and Niann grew up in Cherokee, Iowa, the daughters of the late Bill and Melba Grawburg. In 1981, Niann moved to Mississippi with her husband, Bill Cooper, and lives in Bay St. Louis. Her husband has since died. She and some friends hid from Katrina in the attic of her Victorian home, which was built in 1804. She figured it could stand up to the hurricane.

"Her house was one of the few that was left standing in Bay St. Louis," Enola said. "That house survived the storm with the exception of mud and water damage. She also owns houses in Biloxi and Long Beach, Miss., and both of those houses are gone."

Niann stressed how wonderful the volunteers have been.

"She said that FEMA people, along with the Red Cross, have been marvelous. She has always had food and water, as well as medical care when needed."

From Mobile, Ala: My cousin, Corky Kratt, his wife, Angela, and son, Kevin, live in Mobile, Ala., where he is a mechanical engineer at the big Chevron refinery on Mobile Bay. They have evacuated for other hurricanes. Those storms had not damaged their home, so they decided to ride out Katrina. They stocked up on water, food and batteries.

The hurricane's winds ripped off shingles, damaged the garage door and dumped loads of debris in their yard. They lost electricity. Corky's mother (and my cousin), Molly Flynn Kratt, in Fredericksburg, Va., told me, that electricity was restored last Wednesday night.

They know many families who lost their homes or jobs. Corky went back to work at the refinery to try to get it up and running.

From Mississippi Gulf Coast: Tamara Morrison, a member of the Sioux City Quota Club's sister club, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Club, updated the international office in Washington, D.C.:

"You cannot imagine how much it means to know that people around the world care about what is happening here. It is so disastrous that we are having a hard time believing it…Our favorite restaurants are gone, our businesses are gone or damaged, our landmarks are like matchsticks on the ground. Our historical homes are gone. Our casino industry is devastated, our bridges are broken and the lists goes on.

"I can tell you first-hand that not knowing who is safe and what is going on is the hardest part. Text messaging is awesome, as we have discovered it is our only way of communicating with those on the coast."

Her house has been seriously damaged. All 19 trees were uprooted. Her sister's house was destroyed.

"We will make it just fine," Tamara asserted.

That sounds like the kind of spirit that will see people through this catastrophe. What can we do?

Give red and green: Donors will be needed in the upcoming months to replenish blood supplies, Jan Twait, CEO of the Siouxland Community Blood Bank said.

"We had nine centers closed or damaged," she noted. "These people are going to need support for some period of time—over at least the next six months."

Sioux City has sent blood products to Miami and Pensacola, Fla., which were hit by Katrina, and to Memphis, Tenn., where many evacuees are hospitalized.

For the green part, you can buy white ribbons for $5 each to support our Sister City, Lake Charles, La., in its refugee care efforts. Buy the ribbons at the Customer Service desk or from the City Manager's office at City Hall.

Among the organizations funneling money to the gulf are the Siouxland Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Catholic Charities.

Donations to the Red Cross also may be funneled to "Operation Helping Hand," sponsored by the Journal, KTIV and Security National Bank. Drop off or mail donations to any Security bank location, KTIV or The Journal at 515 Pavonia St., Sioux City, IA 51101.

The Humane Society of the United States has sent disaster relief teams to the Gulf to rescue farm animals, horses, wildlife and pets. Volunteers and rescue staff are setting up shelters and offering veterinary care. Donations may be sent to HSUS Disaster Relief Fund, Dept. DRFHBM, 2100 L St., NW, Washington, DC 20037.

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