Timeline

In my lifetime, there have been three dates that collectively changed the course of my life, the course of my community, and the course of my country.  They are November 22, 1963:  The assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy; September 11, 2001:  The bombing of the World Trade Center; and August 29, 2005:  The Storm.

Hurricane Katrina is now the 'Common Era' or 'Anno Domini' of southeastern Louisiana.  It is how we mark time:  "I bought that a few years before the storm," or "I've had trouble sleeping since the storm."

It is the common language of survivors who have new verbal shorthand:  "Road Home" explains a trailer in the front yard; "FEMA" is synonymous with "Catch 22," and "Katrina Cough" covers a wide range of respiratory ailments.  

Jokes and catchy phrases were invented to mask the pain and the anger:  "Federal Emergency Mismanagement Agency" or "Fix Everything My A**."

Despite this collective cultural shift, many of us in southeastern Louisiana are still unaware of the events surrounding August 29, 2005.  

Many are unaware that Hurricane Katrina made its final landfall at the mouth of the Pearl River, which divides Louisiana and Mississippi, at approximately 9:45 AM CDT.  The eye passed over eastern St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana and Hancock County, Mississippi.

In St. Tammany Parish alone, over 48,000 homes were damaged; almost 20,000 by flood waters. 

Residents of Slidell often have no idea of the storm's damage in Folsom.  Some in Mandeville do not know that the eye covered the greater Slidell area.  The communities of Covington, Sun, Abita Springs, Madisonville and Pearl River may not know what happened to their neighbors.  

Now is the time to tell our story.  Collected here are bulletins from the National Hurricane Center, excerpts from the Times Picayune and other media, excerpts from the 13,000 'missions' entered into the St. Tammany Parish Web Emergency Operations Center log (WebEOC- yes, another acronym), as well as information from first responders, the 9-1-1 system and personal accounts from the storm.

The threads of this story have been woven together as they unfolded.  Except for the removal of personal information, the emergency entries have not been edited; they are shown as entered by the emergency call takers.  Journals and comments from individuals contain their personal opinions, thoughts, and ideas as conveyed at that time. Time may have proven some of the comments inaccurate, but they were believed to be true at the time and are included here for a richer telling of this story.
 
Suzanne Parsons Stymiest


There is also an area for you to share your stories.  This area is for both St. Tammany residents and the stories of the thousands of volunteers from around the world who continue to assist in rebuilding. 

Timeline Key