I
I spent the night before calling my
sisters to let them know how much
the water level in the bayou was ris-
ing. I told them not to go to sleep. Af-
ter 2am, our 83-year old dad’s phone
started going straight to voicemail.
When Hurricane Allison hit, I was
going through a divorce and living
in my father’s house with my three
children. During the night, my sister
Patricia and I would walk down the
driveway to the end of the street to
check the bayou. In over forty-five
years, their homes had never flooded.
Soon, the water level crept up the
street into the yards and up to the
door. My father opened a side door
and water gushed in. We scrambled
to pick up valuables off the floor. By
daylight, there was over 3 feet of wa-
ter inside the house. My father cut the
power off when the water got close
to the wall sockets. My 10-year-old
Jasmine stayed up though the night
using the light of candles to help me
put boxes of photos and videos on top
26 iF Magazine | October 2017
of bunk beds. I carried my 6-year-old
Amir and 4-year-old Kailah on my
shoulders to a neighbor’s home that
had not flooded. The water stayed
for days and we lost most everything.
Trying to get assistance was a night-
mare and here it was again.
found out that his kidney is failing.
His wife is a two-time breast cancer
survivor. At 3am, she said water was
coming into their home. Now you
can see why I could not sleep.
Everyone feared the worst when
no one could reach my father. My
I panicked at the thought of my brother tried to make it there, but the
mother being in a flooded house. roads and freeways were impassable.
She was at my sister’s house on Wip- There was high water everywhere. I
precht Street. The water had risen all pleaded with my sister Pat to please
around them. It was now at the door. go through the water and check on
I reached out to friends and elected our dad. She agreed to go. The water
officials to rescue them. My mother was filled with debris. She even saw
is 80 years old and immobile. She has a snake!
struggled through all types of health
issues and most recently had colon By the time rescuers were able to get
cancer. As I pleaded and prayed for to my mother, my sister made the de-
her to be taken out of harms way, I cision not to go. They wanted to car-
knew that the decision would ulti- ry her threw water on a gurney be-
mately be up to my sister. I was told cause their vehicles could not make
that she was on a list.
it to her. My sister asked many ques-
tions about what would be best for
My sister Kathy lives there with her her and decided to stay put since the
husband Delas. Delas was recently in water had not made it in the house.
the hospital for a leg injury. There, he