Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Flood Victim Who's Glad to be Alive
by Robert Perry, tango dancer
I was one of the many who remained in New Orleans through Katrina.
Rule 1. When told to evacuate, evacuate.
Rule 2. Follow rule #1
Quite early on the morning after Katrina passed I went downstairs to observe the
damage. A few trees in my backyard were uprooted. One in particular, the teardrop
tree which I had planned to remove was uprooted. The fruit trees seemed to have
survived. Inside the house everything was as I left it the night before.
The electricity had gone off at about 4:00 am as I watched Katrina on T.V. so I
could not fix breakfast. I looked out front and noticed all seemed well. It was
about 7:00 am. Through my patio sliding glass doors I saw a brown-yellowish liquid
rising slowly, about 2 inches at first then a foot. Water was then coming under the
front door. I ran to the front to try to hold the door (not very smart). It flew off
the hinges throwing me across the floor as a waist-high water flooded the lower floor.
In less than twenty minutes the lower floor of my house was under about eight feet
of water. The Steinway baby grand that took three large guys to move in my place
was turned over and pushed aside as if it were a feather. Bookcase after bookcase of
books, music manuscripts, pictures, everything was floating or underwater.
I was trapped in my place for five days. Then rescued by flatboat and flown out to
San Antonio. I stood in lines for twenty hours. Got a chance to talk to as many storm
victims who, for some reason, did not or were unable to leave before the storm.
Their stories are horrific, unbelievable. I'm sure you've been watching it on the tube.
I took pictures for the five days I was trapped, surviving on chocolate, water,
and trail mix that happened to be in the bedroom upstairs. My only company was
a neighbors cat who was floating on the dining table and subsequently took up
residence in the front room I use as an office. It was truly an experience. I
have written about fifty pages of my Katrina experiences and first-hand stories
as told to me by victims. Maybe I'll put it out.
I'm using the computer at the Texas Unemployment office in Houston to access my
e-mail. On my cell phone I can only retrieve messages.
Flood victim who's glad to be alive.
Yours truly,
Bob Perry
"drrobertperry@juno.com"
I was one of the many who remained in New Orleans through Katrina.
Rule 1. When told to evacuate, evacuate.
Rule 2. Follow rule #1
Quite early on the morning after Katrina passed I went downstairs to observe the
damage. A few trees in my backyard were uprooted. One in particular, the teardrop
tree which I had planned to remove was uprooted. The fruit trees seemed to have
survived. Inside the house everything was as I left it the night before.
The electricity had gone off at about 4:00 am as I watched Katrina on T.V. so I
could not fix breakfast. I looked out front and noticed all seemed well. It was
about 7:00 am. Through my patio sliding glass doors I saw a brown-yellowish liquid
rising slowly, about 2 inches at first then a foot. Water was then coming under the
front door. I ran to the front to try to hold the door (not very smart). It flew off
the hinges throwing me across the floor as a waist-high water flooded the lower floor.
In less than twenty minutes the lower floor of my house was under about eight feet
of water. The Steinway baby grand that took three large guys to move in my place
was turned over and pushed aside as if it were a feather. Bookcase after bookcase of
books, music manuscripts, pictures, everything was floating or underwater.
I was trapped in my place for five days. Then rescued by flatboat and flown out to
San Antonio. I stood in lines for twenty hours. Got a chance to talk to as many storm
victims who, for some reason, did not or were unable to leave before the storm.
Their stories are horrific, unbelievable. I'm sure you've been watching it on the tube.
I took pictures for the five days I was trapped, surviving on chocolate, water,
and trail mix that happened to be in the bedroom upstairs. My only company was
a neighbors cat who was floating on the dining table and subsequently took up
residence in the front room I use as an office. It was truly an experience. I
have written about fifty pages of my Katrina experiences and first-hand stories
as told to me by victims. Maybe I'll put it out.
I'm using the computer at the Texas Unemployment office in Houston to access my
e-mail. On my cell phone I can only retrieve messages.
Flood victim who's glad to be alive.
Yours truly,
Bob Perry
"drrobertperry@juno.com"
