By Jackie Perito
Imagine having to leave all your belongings in your home, thinking that you will be back in a few days and everything will still be there. Imagine finding out your house is submerged in 20 feet of water, not knowing which of your friends are alive or dead. That is what Judith Stewart went through when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans more than a year ago.
This past Monday, Stewart shared her experiences with a small, but interested crowd in the Student Center Theater. She explained in great detail what she and 15 other members of her family had to do in order to stay safe during the storm.
“We were isolated in the bluffs with no electric and only a battery-operated radio to listen to what was happening back home,” said Stewart during her presentation. She explained how many people in New Orleans could not evacuate because of various reasons.
Stewart related the storm with the attacks on the World Trade Center. The road that she lived on was referred to as “ground zero,” due to it being the first place in New Orleans to be hit with water. She said it is difficult knowing she will not have the pictures of herself from when she was younger and the journal her mother kept over many years.
Despite the loss of “stuff,” as Stewart put it, she said she realized that she, along with her family members, were lucky. Her family included her son-in-law, a police officer who aided in the rescue of many stranded by the flood. She referred to him as a hero. Then, she put on a smile and said material things are replaceable but people can never be replaced.
“Stuff is just stuff,” as she put it. She said her most special possession now is the crucifix she wears around her neck; it was found after being submerged beneath 20 feet of water and in the mud. In the city she lodged during the storm, Baton Rouge, a school was built for children from New Orleans.
Despite the technical difficulties of the slideshow, attendees found the entire presentation to be moving.
“I loved her presentation,” said attendee Megan Ciccarello, who participated in the Katrina relief Spring Break Alternative last semester. “We worked so closely with her while we were in New Orleans and it was great to see her again. She has a really inspiring story to tell, and I think it’s important that people outside of the Gulf Coast realize that there’s still a lot more work to be done to rebuild the area.”Stewart now aids in the clean up of the city and mentioned how schools now require their graduating seniors to gut a house in order to help the process move along.