FEMA Employees Tell Their Katrina Tales
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Nearly one year after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, employees at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) took time to share their personal stories of survival and recovery after Hurricane Katrina.
While FEMA's Deputy Director of Gulf Coast Recovery Gil Jamieson observed the recovery efforts in New Orleans on Monday, he stopped at the home of FEMA employee Stephen Peychaud in the Treme neighborhood of the city. Peychaud, an eighth generation New Orleanian, is in the process of rebuilding his heavily damaged home. He perseveres while saying, "Every day is a new day. Our plan is just to take it all one day at a time." While visiting the home, Jamieson spoke with Peychaud, his mother and his grandmother, expressing the importance of employing local citizens and thanking Peychaud for his service and commitment to the recovery of his community.
As FEMA's Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office shifts to its longer-term staffing plan, FEMA is hiring more local Louisiana employees like Stephen Peychaud. While these employees work diligently each day helping those in need of FEMA assistance, they also have their own stories to tell regarding Katrina. Many of them were directly impacted by the storm and have returned home to begin a new stage in their lives. Some are living in FEMA travel trailers, others are receiving rental assistance and many are rebuilding their homes in this area. While they are undertaking their own personal recoveries from Katrina, they are helping their neighbors recover through their daily work.
FEMA honors these employees who continue to persevere under difficult circumstances. We acknowledge their dedication to their hometown and to the people of New Orleans and understand the importance of these employees in the local recovery effort.
In Their Own Words: Hurricane Katrina's Impact from 10 of FEMA's Local Employees:
"All in all, I lost both of my jobs as a result of the hurricane, but continued to finish my last semester of graduate school via the Internet. I began searching for a job and after one month, finally got the news that I was looking for - I would be working for FEMA, face-to-face with victims at a Disaster Recovery Center in Chalmette ." – Kelly Wilson, Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards Support
Kolette lived in New Orleans before Katrina. Her house had six feet of water, and mold took the rest. It will be demolished. She evacuated to Georgia where she stayed for the rest of the school year so that her son could go to school. She declined a travel trailer that FEMA offered because her mother bought a house in Kenner and she, her husband and son live there with her mom. – Kolette Gibson, Administrative Assistant, Congressional Affairs
"As I prayed for guidance, I came to realize that my situation, as bad as it is, could be worst. After the tears and depression, I realized that I needed to pull myself together and begin my recovery. Knowing that I could not just sit around and feel sorry for myself any longer, I applied for a job with FEMA. I was hired in the Mitigation Department and have worked here since December, 2005. In June, I was hired into a CORE position. I thank FEMA for rescuing me from unemployment and helping me to bring a little structure into my somewhat desperate situation." – Janice Smith, Hazard Mitigation Grant Specialist
Cynthia lives in New Orleans East. She has a son who is an amputee. They evacuated to Natchez, Miss. She had seven feet of water go through her house, four feet of settled water and then a tornado took her roof off. She lives a block and half from the Lake . She received assistance from FEMA for rental assistance, expedited assistance, and they are living in a FEMA trailer at her damaged dwelling. Cynthia had flood insurance and homeowners insurance. She is rebuilding. – Cynthia Young, Mailroom Clerk
"I am a life-long resident of New Orleans. I resided the lower 9th Ward. I am the single parent of a nine-year-old daughter who is an honor student and a four-year-old son. I lost all of my earthly possessions during Katrina. Everything from cherished photos to the home I owned was completely destroyed. I had to continue to push forward to secure a future for myself and my children. Once we moved to LaPlace , we located my father, aunt, grandmother and uncle...Now my job is to assist applicants with information and guidance about various FEMA programs. My job with FEMA has been and still is rewarding. I've met so many helpful people who are more than willing to leave their lives from around the world to come to New Orleans and assist in the recovery of Hurricane Katrina and Rita." – Kristy Carter, Applicant Services Specialist
Monique and her family live in St. Bernard Parish, and Katrina ran 7 ½ feet of water through her house leaving a shell of a home on a slab. She lost everything. Monique, her husband and son evacuated to Picayune where they stayed in a FEMA trailer at her mom's home. In January, their site was deemed salvageable after the oil spill, and FEMA put a trailer at their damaged dwelling site. FEMA's assistance has included replacement housing monies and temporary housing in the form of a travel trailer." – Monique Medley, Situation Specialist, Planning
"My family and I evacuated to Breaux Bridge. I learned through the media that I had lost my job with New Orleans Public Schools after 24 ½ years of service. My lowest point occurred as I watched the workers clean out my flood-damaged house. The only thing I salvaged was a flower pot and a few music CDs. My father and I are living in the first house I purchased in 1982. It sustained little damage, and I am blessed to have a place to live. My personal recovery has begun to move forward, and my experience at FEMA has expedited the process. I have secured a building permit, purchased lawn equipment, a new computer, clothes and other items. I have a plant on my desk at work named 'Stubborn' because that is a trait I possess. I am determined, willful and persistent, and I will prevail despite Hurricane Katrina." – Doreen Trouillier, Applicant Services Specialist
"I have ten brothers and sisters who live in the area. We are a very close family. We're all back but only four are back in their homes. We're staying here. It was hard coming back and having to throw away everything we worked for. The hardest part was throwing away the photos of the kids, their baby pictures and their awards and certificates. You were losing everything important. But my wife and I love New Orleans ; my roots are here; our family is here." – Dwayne Barnes, Branch Chief in Logistics Division
"I'm in the recovery stage of my life slowly accepting what's taking place here in New Orleans . Ending many evenings spent on my travel trailer steps feeling as though I'm in a concentration camp and no other world exists, asking what's next or what's my next move? Recovery, honestly I don't know. I am working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- a dirty word to some, but to me it's a lifeline to a start of an inner-healing process. I've come in contact with so many fellow FEMA representatives who have either gone through a similar disaster or who honestly feel the pain of what we've gone through and are here to make a difference." – Jeanell Holmes, Applicant Assistant Specialist
"Before Katrina, I had never heard of FEMA. I was absolutely amazed such an organization existed. We returned to our home on October 20. We lived upstairs with an air mattress, an ice chest, a propane stove and a generator. When it got cold, it was 48 degrees in our bedroom. Luckily our FEMA trailer arrived shortly after the first or second cold spell. The most amazing thing FEMA did for me was to give me a job. I am proud to have been able to assist the first responders, many of whom were fellow citizens. I am still working for FEMA and consider myself lucky to be able to assist in the recovery of New Orleans ." – Irene Smothers, Ordering Manager in Logistics
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 10:56:08 EDT