Sunday, August 29, 2010

Ooooooo, That Beyotch

Five years after Katrina and I'm sure everyone who didn't live through it is sick to death of hearing about it.

Tough. 

I lived through it.  Over 1800 people in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana didn't mainly due to poverty, age, stubborness and the government's inability to understand that building a channel straight from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Pontchartrain just MIGHT cause some problems if a hurricane ever decided to come up the MR-GO (Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet).  So Katrina came along, knocked down a bunch of houses on the Mississippi Coast and then thought, "Hmmmm.  There's that nice little channel over there in New Orleans.  They think they're OK because I devastated Mississippi.  Well, let me show them how Mother Nature can just surprise the F**K out of you!"  So she flooded St. Bernard Parish, which unfortunately happens frequently, and then roared up the MR-GO, knocked over a wall and flooded most of New Orleans, sparing only the French Quarter.  Oh, and flooded Metairie, too, just for shits and giggles.

It's raining again today and there might be a little street flooding.  It will actually rain more today than what we saw with Katrina, since Katrina was a WIND event that pushed water everywhere.  Yeah, that's right you stupid insurance companies, it was NOT a flood event in Mississippi and you owe alot of people money who lost everything down there on the coast.  I live 50 miles from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and yet Farm Bureau, my original insurance company, flat-out cancelled me right after the storm for no reason, and when I was finally able to get insurance through State Farm right before ALL insurance companies stopped writing new policies, they said we had to get wind & hail insurance through the state to the tune of nearly $3,000 per year, on top of the $700 regular premium.  I mean, I hadn't even had a chance to file a claim with Farm Bureau!  Due to many toppled trees our roof sustained enough damage that we were able to get a new one--here's what the front of the house looked like when we emerged:
So that people would know we were ok we hung up my rainbow pride flag, the American flag AND our friend Nate's Confederate flag.  Which sort of says Patriotic Gay Rednecks live here, ha ha.

Well, except that if people around here thought that they might burn down my house.  I really thought that would happen when I stuck Obama For President yard signs all over my property but no.

Anyway, Katrina is five years gone, BP nailed us with the oil catastrophe this year, so we're hoping that Mother Nature is feeling kindly toward us.  Hurricane season still has another three months to go, though.

Groan.

 

10 comments:

  1. Christine I never get tired of talking about Katrina! It was so devastating but the real crime was the insurance companies refusal to pay for the damage. I lived in New Orleans for many years and my first child was born in Metairie! It saddens me to see the damages to this day. Glad you were OK and flew your flags (cracks me up the "Patriotic Gay Rednecks"). Now the BP mess. So Hurricanes stay away!!

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  2. Christine...you just talk away. We listen. I spent alot of mu childhood in south LA. I love it. I have family down there that are ok and have lived thru many hurricanes. Each one is a new wound on top of old ones. Each one comes with a price.

    In Northwest Arkansas, we took in lots of evacuees. Some good, some bad. I will never forget the look in the eyes of the new neighbour downstairs from me. Single mom with four boys ranging in age from two weeks to 9yrs old. She was terrified. So were her kids. She was scared to death of being away from all she had ever known. she was scared for her kids, and mostly she was scared of al of us crazy white folks! She lived in my building for almost two years. Her boys were beautiful, she was a wonderful neighbour. she went back to NO, back to her mama. I still miss her. (I offered to be her mama, but she said it just wouldn't be the same. lol)

    As for the insurance companies...well don't even get me started. The rotten bastards ought to rot in hell.

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  3. Wow! How awful for you!

    Around here, as you know, it's the brush fires that cause so much damage.

    I do love a good rain storm, but those must be so very frightening. Hope this year is a mellow one over there.

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  4. Thanks Christine for putting it in plain English. Now I can 'see' what happened. Don't get me goin' on insurance companies! They are incredibly greedy and cruel. AND THEY GET AWAY WITH IT!!!!
    Jim

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  5. Yep, Jabacue is right. Insurance companies are in business to make money and they don't like paying out. They don't want your misfortune to be their misfortune, too. We called our homeowners ins company to give us a quote on fixing a roof leak a few years ago. Because we had a $1000 deductible, they quoted us $900, so we just said no thanks, we'd do it ourselves. Guess what! They raised our rates and we had never even filed a claim! So we promptly dropped them. Regarding Katrina...isn't it sad how the greatest nation on this planet will send billions of money to other countries to buy their loyalty but won't take care of its own citizens? I know tornadoes are dangerous killing storms, but I can't imagine living through one that lasts hours! The destruction along the gulf coast was incredible after Katrina!

    Liz

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  6. You've every right to talk about it, everyday if it makes you feel better. Katrina showed the nation that we aren't ready to FIGHT mother nature. She will get her way, regardless. Best to work WITH her. I am so sorry that you had to endure this. But thank you for being brave and weathering it. You have a strong spirit, Miss C.

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  7. That is so terrible, but I like how you turn it into an entertaining rant for your readers. I can only imagine how horrible that must have been for everyone. Did I mention that I hate insurance companies? Grrrrrr.

    -Dollie

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  8. Insurance companies suck.

    I lived through the 1994 Northridge earthquake. My friend, whose house I was staying in, was fortunate - lost a dividing wall between the houses and a couple of pictures - oh, and that Worcestershire bottle that launched itself from one side of the room to the other...and splattered...

    It took him three years to get paid for that damage!!

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  9. Right smack dab in the middle of the country in Missouri, tornados and ice storms are are worst enemies. Unless the New Madrid fault decides to get active in 2012? But you're right, many didn't live through it, but I'm glad you did! Now, I'm watching this Earl roar around and getting closer to the USA - my grandkids live in Florida, but I hope it doesn't make landfall. Zootsuitmama

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  10. Good luck with the rest of hurricane season!

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