12 Years After Katrina, Harvey Won’t Let The Memories Fade For Houston Evacuees And Other Louisiana Residents


As the 12-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina rolls around in 2017, there are many people who aren’t able to put aside those memories as they’re flashing right before their very eyes. Hurricane Harvey has been decimating Houston and other parts of Texas for the last few days, and that happens to be where many evacuees from Katrina now live. Now, as the storm has moved inland a bit, it is also affecting residents in Louisiana and causing them to evacuate from their homes.

It’s a bad case of deja vu for a lot of people, and all that want it to do is end its wrath.

ABC News reported on Tuesday that preparations are underway to start evacuating some areas in Louisiana as Harvey stretches over the southwest corner of the state. Cities such as Lake Charles know the feeling far too well and it is believed that the worst is on the way and it is all starting on Aug. 29, 2017.

For those that may not realize it, the date is exactly 12 years to the day from when Hurricane Katrina made landfall and destroyed so much of the Gulf Coast. Now, Harvey isn’t bringing the same strength of storm but it’s not going to be pretty.

Harvey is no longer a hurricane but it is still strong enough to be a tropical storm which will bring heavy winds and a lot of rain. The main concern right now is the rising water and the flash floods that can come along with it.

The impact that has been felt in Houston isn’t just bringing back memories for those who suffered in Hurricane Katrina, but it brought new dangers. After New Orleans was ravaged by the storm in 2005, a number of people had nothing left and nowhere to go. That led many of them to Houston where they were evacuated to shelters and temporary housing while trying to figure out where to go next.

After all was said and done, a lot of them went nowhere and made Houston their new home. Unfortunately, Harvey has now forced them to have to escape similar circumstances as the floodwaters continued to rise into their homes, as reported by the NY Post.

Kate Quarrella Beard lives in Dickinson, Texas, which is just outside of Houston, and she has had to evacuate from her home due to flooding. Everything was far too familiar for her as 12 years ago, she lived in Kenner, which is a suburb of New Orleans, and that was when she moved to Texas, as she told CNN.

“When we got up at 2 a.m. yesterday morning, we watched the news for 14 hours. And it was literally like watching everything that I had already been through one time happen right again in front of my eyes. So it was really hard.”

Ironically enough, Beard evacuated to New Orleans to stay with her parents while Harvey did its worst. There is even more irony in the fact that this has all happened 12 years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the lives of millions of people.

Hurricane Harvey is still bringing forth a lot of rain, damage, and danger to residents of Texas and Louisiana. Even once the storm dissipates completely, so many people will wonder what to do next or how they can start the upcoming chapter of their life. Some will look to friends and family for help. Others will seek professional assistance. Then, there are those who dealt with the same thing 12 years ago in Hurricane Katrina who will have to use all of their learned skills once again.

[Featured Image by Eric Gay/AP Images]

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