To the People Who Lost It All (Again) in the Tornado …

You are so close and yet so far. We live in the same city, just a couple of miles away, and you lost everything while I still have a roof over my head. My heart aches for you who lost it all, again. As if Katrina didn’t do enough damage.

Yesterday was immensely scary. The combination of the wind gusts and thunder with the loud phone warnings was terrifying. It all happened so quickly. We called our partners and friends; tried to reach our kids’ schools. I had Twitter open on my laptop and was watching the news on my cellphone. I made sure to stay away from windows and to remain calm and composed for my kids. But inside, I was scared. Should I go in the bathroom? For how long? Was my phone charged? The worst weather I had dealt with before moving to Louisiana was a snow storm. I am not scared of the cold and the snow. But I never experienced anything like a tornado. So I waited and waited, anxiously peeking at the clouds outside. Looking for funnel clouds, hugging my two daughters. It put a lot of things in perspective and made my other worries trivial. But it passed. Around 1:30pm, I saw the sun shine again. I let the dog out and looked at the sky and the moving clouds. I saw some blue. I thanked God for sparing my house and my family.

I went in and turned on the news. A tornado had destroyed parts of New Orleans East. I saw the pictures of the nail salon and the little mart and all the damage around the area. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to cry for you. I am so sorry. It’s not fair that you would lose it all again.

Today, you are a survivor. Today, you need to be strong. But you are not alone. I am here. New Orleans is here. Louisiana is here. We care and will not let you down. So please don’t give up.

~ Looking to help? I will be collecting non-perishable food items and toiletries today (2/8/17) until 4pm and tomorrow (2/9/17) 7:30am – 4pm to bring to the the Second Harvest Food Bank. If you want to participate, feel free to drop off your donations at Dental Implants and Periodontics of Louisiana 3521 N. Arnoult Rd Suite A in Metairie.

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