Eddie's Blogs From New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina
Dec. 30, 2005 — -- ABC News' Eddie Pinder was on the ground in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina, one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit American soil. Here is the first part of his account of life in the storm's wake through the eyes of two families there.
Day 1. September 16, 2005
I don't know for sure because they wanted to mull it over privately. I met them inside the Reliant Arena. Everyone in the Astrodome has been moved into Reliant Arena. There are about 2,000 families left. For some reason that isn't entirely clear to me, families are saying that the Astrodome is actually better than Reliant. It has to do with more comfortable cots, warmer water in the showers and better organization. The Red Cross person I spoke with at the exit processing table estimates they are placing families in housing, shelters or homes at a rate of 100-150 a day.
My family:Well, it's 3 generations living together on 11 cots. The mother is Vanessa Parker. She's a mother of four. Her oldest daughter Laumel (18) is away at Southeastern University. With her at Reliant are her daughter, Loreal (14); her son James (13) and her precocious four year old daughter, Vajae. She's cuter than you could ever imagine. She seems to be totally oblivious to her circumstances. She laughs and plays and runs around as if she's at her old playground in New Orleans. The children's father, James, is there too. He was not living with them at the time Katrina hit. They were separated but they're all together now. Also with Vanessa is her mom and dad, Yvonne and Rudolph Gasper. I would guess (because I didn't feel comfortable asking her age yet) that they are in their 70's. Two of Vanessa's brothers are there but I didn't meet them. There's a family friend, Clarence Flemming too. He's 46 years old and appears to be your typical ne'er-do-well. Even at his age, he sports a mouth full of gold teeth.
They sleep on cots lined up right next to each other. It reminded me of my time in a military barracks. If one were to roll over, they would find themselves in someone else's "bed" two spaces down. The mattress pads on top of the cots are about as thick as a Vanity Fair magazine. I sat on them and I could see why these people are complaining. Vanessa and her family's little piece of real estate consists of 2 rows of 6 beds. It's the family compound amongst a sea of humanity. It's not unusual to see families of 12,15, 20 or more together occupying large areas of floor space. They've all lost their homes but the one thing they have left is family. Katrina took their home but they will not allow her to take their family.
There are no TV's, books, video games or music to keep their minds occupied. Some other families have small black and white TV's which they can watch from time to time. Most times, they get told when to eat. Other times, they have to be their own advocate and figure it out. If they are running low on clothing, they take a trip to the clothing bank and look for items in their size for the whole family. But this group is pretty well stocked with hand me downs after the first couple of trips. They've even developed a system for hand washing the clothes and hanging them to dry on unused cots.
They spend their days getting on lines and waiting to be informed. Most mornings the adults are up at 5 o'clock in the morning because they just can't sleep well. By early morning, they are all up and at 'em. One adult stays behind to watch the kids while the others go through the process. They get put on buses and tour homes and housing in the surrounding areas. Vanessa's family has actually turned down a home! They thought the location was too far from local resources… a school, a bank, a store, public transportation etc. They are used to living in a neighborhood. They are keeping their fingers crossed about some housing they saw this week. It's in a better location and plus they will all be able to live together or close by. Family is important at a time like this.
They got to Reliant by way of the Astrodome. They got to the Astrodome by way of the Superdome. (Their recollections of that experience are like everyone else's. It was horrid, horrible and horrendous). Vanessa and her family decided to stay in her split level home at 1820 St. Roch Street because there were 2 stories and she never imagined the water could rise that high. Plus they had no where to go and no extra cash to hold them through a long ordeal. By Tuesday morning when the water was neck high on the first floor, she knew it was time to get out. Clarence went to the roof to flag down some choppers but they were saved by coast guard boats. They think they will be in Houston for about a year before they make it back home. Vanessa worked in retail so she expects to find some work somehow, somewhere. James is still figuring it out. Ultimately, they want to go back to the Big Easy when things were actually easier than they are now.
Day 2. Saturday, September 17, 2005
I spent the night inside the Reliant Arena with the evacuees to see what that was like… but more on that later. I also earned that some of what I reported in the first entry was inaccurate. That should teach me not to get my information from teenagers who have not scouted the entire terrain. There are books and televisions and video games available to the families to occupy their time. The Parker/Gasper has a five inch black and white television set but was unused because it had batteries. It's the family's TV but 99% of the time it's in grandpa Gasper's hands. And exclusively on his cot. Some families at the Reliant Arena have video games and they share them on a community TV set up just outside the dining area. The most popular game appears to be "Matrix" fashioned after the movie. About 9 kids surround the table but only one plays. Books have been donated but it's mostly the trashy stuff. Novels by VC Andrews. I saw one book by Dean Koontz.
The family needed some supplies from the local Wal-Mart on South Post Oak Road. That was the first order of business after breakfast. On the trip were James Parker, Vanessa Parker and her parents, Yvonne and Rudolph Gasper and little Vajae. James (Tre) and Loreal (Tootie) stayed at the Reliant Arena with Clarence, the family friend. The plan at the outset was to get batteries for grandpa's TV and some hair care products for the ladies. The women explained to me that the hair care was not about vanity but necessity. No matter how bad the circumstances, it is still important to have dignity and look presentable. Armed with a short shopping list, priorities began to quickly expand once we were inside. The family used their FEMA debit card to spend $91.32 on hair care products, pork skins, hats, batteries and various other snacks. At one point, mild mannered and soft-spoken Grandpa grabbed a package of Snickers which immediately prompted a challenge from by Vanessa. "Junk, you bought junk?," she questioned. He defended himself arguing, "I need a little late night snack. What about your potato chips?" Vanessa demurred realizing that chips and Snickers were co-equals in the snack world.
On the way in, we stopped by an Enterprise Rental office. They wanted a car to go home hunting. The office was closed on Saturdays. The family returned to Reliant toting several bags of goodies. You could see the curious maybe even envious stares from onlookers. After strategically "hiding" their items under cots and in other bags, they went, as a family, to have lunch. They were served tasteless sandwiches of baloney and cheese, potato salad and cold slaw. Although they are all grateful for the outpouring of charity, they grumbled at the menu. A discriminating palate from New Orleans knows good food. During lunch, I learned that James is still married to Vanessa but they are taking a "time out" right now. Several months ago, things disintegrated during their marriage after he was diagnosed with sleep apnea and could no longer drive a public bus because of it. He was out-of-work and therefore put out of the house. He's in Houston only because he desperately wants to be there for his family.
The rest of the day passed by slowly… playing cards, reading bibles, and talking. Vanessa's brother, Irvin, a New Orleans police officer from the first district, made the 6 hour drive to check on his family. He was awarded 5 days off after a long 3 weeks on. So he spent it checking up on his family and telling them what he knew about the conditions back home. They were excited and relieved to see him. Soon, it was lights out. It was 11pm.
Not all the fluorescent overhead lights were turned off... just a few in some areas but not the big light directly over the cot that was assigned to me. The kids, James and Loreal were watching TV or playing cards well past 1AM. It was difficult to sleep because of all the random noises. A child crying in the night. Aggravating snoring from Vanessa's brother, Jaynel. Loud conversations from nearby neighbors. Patrols from Red Cross workers or uniformed soldiers every 20 minutes. The room was cold. It was difficult but bearable. I slept lightly… always aware of my surroundings, my camera, my wallet and my time. I left just before 6 in the morning.
DAY 3. Sunday, September 18, 2005
Later that morning, I rested comfortably at my hotel. I almost feel guilty that I have a king sized bed and room service. After some rest, I went back to the Reliant Center. The family received a phone call from the rental office telling them they were scheduled to inspect the 3 apartments they were being offered. They toured the complex and fell in love.
It's a gated community on Beechnut and Beltway 8. From the outside, the apartments appear to be pricey. Back at home, we call them condos. Brand new structures with new appliances. It's the sort of complex that people are on a waiting list to purchase in New Jersey. The Gaspers/Parkers have housing vouchers. They have agreed to the terms and are returning on Monday to sign the leases and move in. Vanessa, Loreal, James (Tre) and Vajae are staying in one 3 bedroom. Her parents and brother, Jay Nel are rooming in another 3-bedroom. Terrence and Clarence share a 2 bedroom nearby. James, the father, has to find someplace to live.
When they return the Reliant Center, they begin to plot strategy and pack belongings. So many questions and things to do. They have to rent an SUV to move 30 boxes and 8 laundry bags of their possessions. They have to sign the lease and learn the terms of the agreement. They don't know who will or how to cover utilities and phone services. They need to make several trips to transport all that they have accumulated. They need furniture. Someone has to keep an eye on Vajae while the hard work is done. The entire day is spent planning, packing and thinking. Vanessa is considering a longer stay in Houston… possibly opening a gift shop. Her brother may restart his barbershop business. But mostly, she's thinking about the long journey from home to Houston and maybe back to home again. She's not depressed at all, she says. She's sustained by the fact that she has a her family in tact. They are all together. And if all goes well, they are going to get real showers and a home cooked meal. It's Monday so Terrence has volunteered to make red beans and rice.
DAY 4. Monday, September 19, 2005
What's that quote again? The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry? Astray? Well, those words became real to me yesterday after a series of stops and starts in the effort to finally get the Parker/Gasper family out of the Reliant Arena.
It began at 8:00am. I met Vanessa Parker in the dining area at the Reliant arena. Her plan was to have Enterprise Rent-A-Car pick her up so that she could rent an SUV and pack her belongings to transport them to her new home at the Little Nell Apartments off Beechnut Blvd. It went awry immediately when the company whose slogan is "pick Enterprise and we'll pick you up" refused to pick her up at the Reliant Center despite having a confirmed reservation. Since the rental company is 3 miles away, I offered to drive her and her mother to them. Things went awry again when they were told by the rental associate that they would not get a car because company policy did not permit them to rent a car to someone without a valid credit card. Vanessa had a FEMA debit card. She explained her special circumstances but the woman wouldn't budge. Plus she told them that they had a long waiting list and the nearest Enterprise with an SUV was 28 miles away. Vanessa was dejected but determined. Plan B was to call her brother, Irvin, the New Orleans police officer. He happens to be staying in a nearby Best Western because he's on a 5 day leave visiting his family. And he has a major credit card. After picking him up, we -- Vanessa, her mother Yvonne, her son "Tre" and Irvin took my car to Enterprise on crowded roads during rush hour. They got the car but only have long wait in an overbooked office.
While we were miles away, the plan was to have Terrence (her brother), James (her husband), Rudolph (her dad), Clarence (the family friend) plus the girls Loreal and little Vajae load up their possessions to be packed in their Jeep Cherokee. But even that went awry because they house rules said they could not load up or stack their belongings outside without properly getting processed for permanent exit. Vanessa and her mom were no where near there. I went back to the Reliant Arena with Tre and left the others behind. They needed to take care of some Katrina related business at All State Insurance's mobile office in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Back at the Reliant Center, more problems. Terrence and Clarence had planned to room together in a 2 room apartment at the housing complex. Somehow the processing of the paperwork went awry and Clarence's name was taken off the lease but he was still getting credited with accepting the housing voucher for the apartment. They needed to take a quick trip to the Harris County Housing Authority to clear that up. Their phone calls were unanswered.
The stress of all the miscues was starting to produce tensions within the family. Vanessa was yelling into her cell phone at Clarence. Terrence was yelling at Clarence… blaming him for the Housing Authority's mistake. James was visibly annoyed that Vanessa was taking too long to come back to Reliant Arena with the SUV. He bet me a quarter that they would not make out of there by nightfall. Plus James has his own concerns because he doesn't have a temporary home. He is still going through the process. Even though he and Vanessa are married, they were separated in New Orleans and will for now, stay separated in Houston. Yet she assured me that she will absolutely not leave James behind. Another complicated issue is Clarence, the family friend. Although, neither Clarence nor Vanessa have confirmed it to me, I'm starting to believe that Clarence is more than just a "friend" to Vanessa. There's a palpable coolness between the two men.
Back to the best laid plans… one idea was to have some assistance with the moving. They couldn't possibly fit 30 boxes into an SUV. They planned to accept the offer of Beth Wardecke to secure a pickup truck to help them transport. But officials at the Reliant Center wouldn't let her through security because she was not credentialed. Wardecke is the family's guardian angel who just fell from the sky. Her journey to Houston began on the couch in her home in Dayton, OH. She was VP at a bank who was downsized out of a job right around the time Katrina hit. She was moved and inspired by the images of children suffering through Katrina's aftermath. She's a mother of two herself and knew she had to do something. She didn't have a job anymore. Her husband, the firefighter, could take care of their children. Her severance package made the family financially secure so she bought a ticket to Houston… booked a hotel… rented a car… and decided to use her business acumen to help families navigate through the patchwork of services. Somehow she met a wayward goodhearted Samaritan, George who drove his 77 Chevy Pickup truck all the way from San Jose, CA to help the evacuees. Wardecke helped secure the home.
After fighting through conflicting orders and rules, Beth and George finally made it through the checkpoint. It took an hour to load up the truck but at 4:30pm the Gaspers and Parkers were officially released from the Reliant Center. At the Little Nell Apartments, they wanted to do nothing more than sleep and take a shower. The long exhaustive day had completely robbed them of the joy of the entering new surroundings. When they arrived, they seemed under whelmed. The apartment was brand new. They had Jacuzzi sized bath tubs. A microwave oven. A dishwasher. Plush carpet. Yet they were too stressed to enjoy it and take it all in. Yesterday, they talked about cooking their first meal in weeks. Today, they were too baked to cook. The children couldn't hide their jubilation though. They ran through home. They claimed their own rooms. They sang. They did a little dance. And spontaneously created a song about not having to hand wash dishes. There was more infighting amongst the adults but that seemed normal to me. Families argue even in the best of circumstances. They had been through the worse.
Their new home is empty but it beats the Superdome, the Astrodome and the Reliant Center. It's rent free because the FEMA housing voucher covers them for a full year. Now they're waiting to see if guardian angel Beth will deliver a miracle once again. She says she's secured a donation of used furniture through the St. Vincent DePaul Church to furnish all three apartments. It should arrive today. Because they're now sleeping on carpeted floors, I won the bet. James owes me a quarter.
Day 5. Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Last night, the Gaspers, the Parkers and Clarence Flemming spent the first night sleeping in their new apartments. Clarence and Grandma Yvonne Gasper reveled in sleeping on the mats on the carpeted floor. Apparently, the floor is "a million times better" than cots. They soaked in the tubs to relieve some tensions. The peace was short-lived. By morning, they were at each other's throats. There's something percolating but no one can detail it. I'm told it just "family drama" or "you know how that goes." The grandfather, Rudolph Gasper, just chalks it off to expected behavior from "dumb-dumbs and doh-doh's." His daughter Vanessa Parker is neither. In my mind, she's the glue of the family but even she's becoming unglued. And like glue, she's getting stuck with servicing every family member's issues and needs. She rented the SUV so she's the one who chauffeurs every one around from pillar to post. And there are plenty of places to go.This morning began at Wal-Mart where Vanessa, her mom and dad spent hours. By my count, this is their fourth trip to the retail giant. And this time they bought every little item people never really think about until they move into a new home. It reminded me of freshman year at college. They bought shower curtains, pots, pans, bathroom sets, a toaster, flatware, brooms, mops, garbage pails, hampers, washcloths, towels, a coffee pot and a 19-inch television. That outing took hours because the lines were impossibly long as local residents flocked to the stores to stock up on water and flashlights. Although it has been widely reported on CNN, there's only a rumor that hurricane Rita may make a direct hit on Houston. News is gossip to people who don't have the time, means or energy to stop and get informed. The "rumor" hadn't made its way to the Gaspers or Parkers because they heard about Hurricane Rita from me. They were shocked to learn that Houston was in Rita's projected path. They didn't have a functioning TV. They didn't read the newspapers. The radio was constantly locked on 102.1 FM, the R&B station. As with hurricane Katrina, they do not have a plan for Rita. Even after I told them, nothing more was said or done about it. They focused on putting their lives back together.Shopping continued. Late in the afternoon after they unloaded their supplies from Wal-Mart, they went to a nearby Family Dollar store for more household items. Vanessa worked at a Family Dollar outlet in New Orleans before Katrina and knew that she and her mom could find better bargains there than at Wal-Mart.They picked up over $250 worth of additional items for the apartments but they still don't have any furniture. They were told that a local church would donate used furniture to all of them. But after a phone call, they learned that all the furniture had been distributed. Vanessa's brother, Irving, said that he had a good lead from Houston cops on where to find cheap furniture. But Mrs.. Gasper was dead set against it. She wanted free furniture because it would not be wise to buy brand new things for this home when they would have spend money all over again to replace what they've left behind and lost in New Orleans. And they are definitely going back to New Orleans.On the way out of Family Dollar, Vanessa asked the manager about how to contact the corporate office for a job just in case her stay in Houston is longer than she wants. She may need to work at the retail chain again.Vanessa isn't the only one thinking about employment. They are all broke with no cash on hand except for the $2000 FEMA debit cards. And that won't last forever. Plus, I don't know if they are keeping record of how much they've spent so far. Terrence, her brother, is adamant that he will find work. He is a licensed barber by trade. He knows he can find work in any city in America because in New Orleans, "Can't nobody cut hair like me, ya heard me?" He loathes the idea of collecting public or charitable assistance. He needs to make money for his wife and for his daughter, Lovely, who are staying near Dallas. For him, there's honor in working… duty in being a father. Clarence, Vanessa's friend, feels the same way. He's an independent housing contractor who does everything from electrical work to ceilings to painting to minor plumbing. He says he's heard there might be a $100,000 contract job in line for him to do some work on a brand new housing complex. He may be in luck because Houston is among the fastest growing cities in America. It's pregnant with possibilities.As night fell, still more shopping. They needed to pick up groceries at the Food Town supermarket off Beltway 8. They were lucky to buy water because the store had practically run out. Hurricane fears had created a shopping frenzy. The Gaspers left with 22 bags of groceries. The Parkers had twice that. They needed to make two trips to haul it all. That night, Grandma Gasper was going to make the family's first home cooked meal in three weeks. They decided on a dish called "Yakamien." A city boy from New York, I have never heard of it. "You've never heard for Yakamien? Don't they sell that in New York? In the Chinese restaurants?" I was asked. Absolutely not, I told them. So they invited me to stay. It's beef strips sautéed in water with white onions, spaghetti (which they called noodles) and scallions (which they called green onions). And it's topped with two wedges of boiled eggs. Strange. I don't eat beef but I tried it anyway. And after one bowl, I can see why they want to go back to New Orleans.-- Eddie Pinder
Day 6: Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Wednesday afternoonWednesday morning started out with an agenda -- go to the post office, buy some furniture (mostly beds), and pick up more food from Sam's Club. I was told to be at their home by 9 a.m. but when I arrived they were still making breakfast -- grits, sausage and eggs. Since I have CNN in my hotel room, I broke the news that hurricane Rita was a Category 4. They were aware but unimpressed. They still needed to go to the "post office" setup for evacuees inside the Reliant Arena to fill out a change of address card to redirect their mail.At the post office, Mrs.. Gasper didn't find the pension check she was hoping for… only a bill from Sam's club. But Terrence, her son, received a $2,000 charity check from the MusicCares foundation which is, as it was explained to me, a sort of union for musicians. He's a drummer known as "Chop Shop" for a 2nd line New Orleans band. With a FEMA card, Red Cross card, food stamps and the check… Terrence says he's set.Back at the house, Beth Wardecke was waiting for them to return. She is the out-of-work mom from Dayton, Ohio who was inspired to hop on a plane to help families on her own. She had several pages of research about where to find furniture and clothing. But she also had news about the impending storm. She labored to convince them to consider evacuating because power would most likely be out after a Category 4 hits. She was so concerned that even she booked a flight to head back home. But it was like penetrating through a steel reinforced cement wall. She told them that things would be as bad as Katrina or worse. The irony is that she never experienced Katrina, they knew about it better than she. So she called her son and husband back home to go to a Web site which estimates the likelihood of flooding in the zip code where they were living. They found out they were in what's called a "hundred year flood zone" which means the last big flood was probably when Noah built his ark. So Terrence reasoned that all that they needed was "some charcoal and a grill."Others felt differently. Grandma Gasper thought they should take a vote. Mr.. and Mrs.. Gasper, Clarence and Terrence (surprisingly) voted to leave, Vanessa and James said they'd go with the majority. Jaynel, Irving and the kids did not get a vote but Loreal, the teenaged daughter, told me and her dad that she wanted to stay. She said she was tired of moving. She was starting to feel settled in her new bedroom. She had plastered the walls with posters of Usher, Kelly Clarkson and the Black Eyed Peas. She was over-ruled. Now they decided to go.It was time to evacuate again -- from what I called "Hurricane KatRita." Yet no one thought about where to go and how to get there. There are 10 of them and only 1 car. So it was left up to Beth Wardecke to figure that out. She spent hours trying to find a hotel that would take FEMA debit cards. She was told there were no rooms in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and New Mexico. She found a hotel in Wichita, KS -- a 13 hour drive away -- that would take their debit cards. Because there were 10 people and 1 car, she offered to give them her rental which wasn't due back until the end of the month. Her plan was to evacuate. Fly home to Dayton. Take a cab to the airport.The family calculated that a 13 hour drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic was more like a 26 hour drive, so they decided to stay and ride it out. James, Vanessa and Terrence went out a hunt for a grill and a generator. Generators and charcoal were sold out at the Lowe's and Home Depot.When they returned, a heated argument loudly erupted between Clarence and Terrence about food and family issues. Grandpa Gasper quieted it down with news and a decision. He had been watching TV and learned that Rita was now a Category 5 hurricane. He wanted his grandchildren out of there. Beth offered to take them to her relatives' home in Dallas. Grandpa Gasper said the adults can stay and take care of themselves but he couldn't stand to see his grandchildren suffer through another hurricane. And then he began weeping bitterly. No one could ever recall seeing this 67-year old man cry a day in his life. Vanessa said, "My daddy is crying. That's it. We're leaving. I don't care where we go but we're getting out of here. I'm not leaving them behind." Grandma was crying. Grandpa was crying. Vanessa cried when she had a moment to reflect about how two hurricanes were chasing her family from homes to housing. But at least, someone was being decisive this time. It was 11:30 p.m. They were leaving again… departing at 5 a.m. to Arlington, Texas where James' mom and sister acquired two apartments after they were evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. They told James that everyone could stay.-- Eddie Pinder
Day 7: Thursday, September 22, 2005
Thursday evening
This time, every one was packed and ready to go -- on time. They were early, actually. Luckily our gas tanks were filled with gas the night before. Our three-car caravan -- my car; Beth's donated car with Grandpa and Grandma Gasper, Terrence, Clarence and Jaynel; and Vanessa's SUV with James and the kids -- pulled out and headed for Arlington, Texas via I-45 North at 5 a.m. on the dot.I decided to be the lead vehicle because I had navigation in my rental car which would allow us to reroute ourselves around expected traffic tie-ups. According to the GPS, the trip was 262 miles -- a little over four hours. That's, of course, under normal conditions. Things were not normal.Thank God for GPS. Traffic was moving at a rate of 4 MPH. We rerouted ourselves four different times to get to I-45. Even the local roads were jammed. Things were moving so slowly, entire families were jumping out of their vehicles in traffic to run across the highway to use the restroom at a gas station on the service road. By the time, they returned, traffic had only moved inches. There were moments when we rerouted and gained a good rhythm moving forward but then we'd hit a wall. All along the road way there were cars parked along the side of the road. Some had stalled because they overheated. Some had simply run out of gas. Radio news reports were saying there was no gas anywhere. And the few remaining places with gas were running out with long lines of cars waiting to be told the bad news. Initially we were not discouraged because an at an early morning press conference, city and state officials promised to open up the southbound lanes of I-45 for northbound traffic by 9 a.m. By 10:30 a.m., the lanes were still not reversed. We had only traveled about 20 miles in five hours. Panic was setting in. One official on the radio was telling drivers that because their cars were still burning gas even in stalled traffic, they were running the risk of getting stranded on I-45 with no way out. He was advising some to turn around and ride the storm out. Apparently state and locals officials had an evacuation plan but not enough personnel to carry it out. They didn't have enough officers to block the entrance ramps along the highway to avoid head on collisions. That news put the fear of Rita in Grandpa Gasper's and Terrence's hearts. With a little less than three quarters of a tank of gas in each of our cars, they decided to wait until we reached a half-a-tank to reevaluate things. A little more than a half-hour later, we were literally parked on the entrance ramp for I-45. Nothing was moving. Cars were parked on the shoulder. Out of gas, running out of time. Shortly thereafter, I got the news from Terrence and Grandpa that we were all going back to Houston. We had a little more than a half of a tank of gas. For the third time in two days, they were deciding to stay.Vanessa and James seemed reluctant to return but they went with the family majority. It took us a while to navigate our way through snarled traffic but we made it back. There was enough gas to look for a generator once more but there's no gas for a generator. And all generators were sold out. All they could buy was more food for the hurricane KatRita experience. I will ride out my first Category Four hurricane with them tonight.