jolie
08-17-2008, 09:52 PM
After reading Rosie's "Are you kidding me" thread, I thought I should repost my family's story in preparation for this 3rd anniversary. They are true survivors!
This is a story written by my father immediately after Katrina. In the 2 years since... we have learned of many, many incidents that occurred that he did not speak of then. Our family recently found ourselves in tears LAUGHING at certain stories they tell of their escape, their stay at The Manor, and their long busride. It is long.. but not of gore, or horrid visuals... just his story that I think is worthy of being told.
Ed Cantrell’s Story
09/04/05
My name is Ed Cantrell, 67 years old, and I am a lifelong resident of St. Bernard Parish. I am a retired machinist from Lockheed Martin at the Michoud Assembly plant in New Orleans. I remained at home during Katrina in Meraux (St. Bernard Parish), LA. Meraux is about a 15 minute drive east of New Orleans.
Staying at home with me were my wife, Gloria; Yvonne (my 90 year old mother-in-law); and, Missy my 17 year old granddaughter.
Hurricane Katrina was not even expected in the New Orleans area until about 1 pm on Monday, August 29, but the flood water came up fast at my home in Meraux—at about 7:30 am that Monday morning.
We knew we had to get out quick and I didn’t have time to put on my shoes or get medication for family members, grab eyeglasses, wallets with credit cards, drivers license, etc. I only had on Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt.
I had attached my fishing boat to my pick-up truck the night before with life vests in the cab of the truck. We thought we might have time in the morning to leave if necessary. Yvonne could barely walk with a walker. We knew we would not go to the attic.
I was unhooking the boat from the truck. The water was already too high to drive.
Gloria and Missy were helping Yvonne to get to the boat, but the carpet had already started to come up from the surge and walking was like climbing a mountain. When they got her to the garage door, the freezer came floating by so they put her on that and were able then to float her to the boat.
With the help of two neighbors who had also stayed, I got my family into my boat hoping to get out of the flood water or to get to higher ground.
We rode in the boat with intentions of getting to St. Bernard Manor, an assisted living complex about 5 stories high on Hannan Boulevard in Meraux, a couple blocks from our home.
The wind was really strong and the water was rising at a rapid pace. It was now about 4 to 5 feet deep with a strong current.
We reached The Manor and the water was already to the second floor. I jumped out of the boat to try to open a window to get into the building. The wind was so strong that the boat got out of control and was blown across the street from The Manor and lodged in some trees. I grabbed onto a fence in front of The Manor. I was trying to think of a way to get to the boat but the current was too strong. I then grabbed a automobile tire that came floating by, thinking I could use it as a floating device to maneuver towards the boat. But as the tide was rising and the fence was no longer visible, I could no longer hold on to the fence. I then thought this would be a good time to try to make it across Hannan Boulevard to the boat containing my family. The current was so strong; I missed reaching the boat by about 10 feet and floated toward a tree. I was able to grab onto a limb of that tree. I knew there was no way I could swim back against the current to get to the boat, so I continued to hang on to the tree.
I could see my family in the boat about 50 feet away, but just could not get to them. I hung on to that tree for almost 4 hours, watching my family in the boat, and never thought any of us would make it out alive. I prayed and made a lot of promises to God. I was yelling to Missy to keep bailing rainwater out of the boat. She had a small cup that could only pick up a tiny amount of water, but she continued working hard at bailing out small amounts of water.
It was very cold, at one point a garbage dumpster came floating by. I was trying to think of a way to get inside of it, instead I took out a plastic bag and wrapped myself in it.
When the winds died down, the neighbor was able to drive the boat to The Manor, deposit the women and then come back to get me. I knew my prayers were answered!
My brother-in-law (Morgan) and nephew (Christopher), had escaped from their home nearby by cutting a hole in the roof with an ax. They came looking for us and found us later that day in one of the buildings in The Manor. Others were beginning to arrive at the manor, some just floating up on debris.
When no one came to rescue us, Morgan and Christopher and some other men went out in the boat to seek help and also began rescuing people along the way. We had to be careful not to hit rooftops, cars, fences and other debris submerged or floating in the water. We were grabbing anything edible or drinkable that floated by for our future use. We were left to survive on our own, not knowing when or if anyone would come to rescue us before food and water ran out. On one of the rooftops, we found my son, Edwin, Jr. who joined the men in the boat and started rescuing people from houses and rooftops.
At the Manor we used a bucket on a rope and lowered it into the flood waters to get water to flush the toilets. Some of us took a bath in a Jacuzzi tub containing clean water that came floating by.
I was forced to use articles of womens clothing from the Manor to change my contaminated clothing. All my pride was gone!!!!
We knew we had to get out. My wife was getting hysterical, my aged mother-in-law was out of her medications and our food and water had run out.
There were no Coast Guard or policemen or helicopters in our area in those first several days. On Wednesday evening, we saw a fireman and other civilians in boats helping to rescue people. Some of the firemen were in small boats rowing with paddles. The firemen instructed us to get a list of all of the people in the building and they told us that they would come back on Thursday morning at 10 am to rescue us near St. Bernard Highway.
On Thursday morning, all the occupants of the Manor were loaded into boats and taken to St. Bernard Highway, to 1 waiting school bus. We were then brought to a ferryboat to cross the Mississippi River to Algiers, where we were given water. Then we were taken by the school bus to a shelter in Lake Charles, La – about a 6 hour ride. At Lake Charles, we were warmly greeted by the Red Cross, who gave us food, cots, blankets, tetanus shots and allowed us to contact family members. I finally got a pair of shoes and mens clothing!
My daughters Lori, Jolie and Annie who had all pleaded with us to evacuate, did not know if we were dead or alive. After seeing the Cantrell family name posted on a web site for missing persons, Gloria’s cousin in Atlanta (Julie) was in touch with my sister Diane in Ruston through e-mail and phone contact. Julie arranged for airline tickets to get Gloria &, Missy to Atlanta and Yvonne to relatives in Memphis. I wanted to go to my sister Diane’s home in Ruston, La. Relatives who had already evacuated from Plaquemine Parish to Lafayette, La drove to Lake Charles to pick up myself, Morgan & Christopher.
My son, Edwin Jr., stayed back to keep rescuing people, getting them to higher land to be evacuated by officials later. He stayed until Saturday, Sept 3, when the National Guard insisted he leave. He was taken to Baton Rouge where family members picked him up. After numerous phone calls and emails, all Cantrell family members who went in numerous directions, before during and after the storm have been contacted and are all safe. Thank God
This is a story written by my father immediately after Katrina. In the 2 years since... we have learned of many, many incidents that occurred that he did not speak of then. Our family recently found ourselves in tears LAUGHING at certain stories they tell of their escape, their stay at The Manor, and their long busride. It is long.. but not of gore, or horrid visuals... just his story that I think is worthy of being told.
Ed Cantrell’s Story
09/04/05
My name is Ed Cantrell, 67 years old, and I am a lifelong resident of St. Bernard Parish. I am a retired machinist from Lockheed Martin at the Michoud Assembly plant in New Orleans. I remained at home during Katrina in Meraux (St. Bernard Parish), LA. Meraux is about a 15 minute drive east of New Orleans.
Staying at home with me were my wife, Gloria; Yvonne (my 90 year old mother-in-law); and, Missy my 17 year old granddaughter.
Hurricane Katrina was not even expected in the New Orleans area until about 1 pm on Monday, August 29, but the flood water came up fast at my home in Meraux—at about 7:30 am that Monday morning.
We knew we had to get out quick and I didn’t have time to put on my shoes or get medication for family members, grab eyeglasses, wallets with credit cards, drivers license, etc. I only had on Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt.
I had attached my fishing boat to my pick-up truck the night before with life vests in the cab of the truck. We thought we might have time in the morning to leave if necessary. Yvonne could barely walk with a walker. We knew we would not go to the attic.
I was unhooking the boat from the truck. The water was already too high to drive.
Gloria and Missy were helping Yvonne to get to the boat, but the carpet had already started to come up from the surge and walking was like climbing a mountain. When they got her to the garage door, the freezer came floating by so they put her on that and were able then to float her to the boat.
With the help of two neighbors who had also stayed, I got my family into my boat hoping to get out of the flood water or to get to higher ground.
We rode in the boat with intentions of getting to St. Bernard Manor, an assisted living complex about 5 stories high on Hannan Boulevard in Meraux, a couple blocks from our home.
The wind was really strong and the water was rising at a rapid pace. It was now about 4 to 5 feet deep with a strong current.
We reached The Manor and the water was already to the second floor. I jumped out of the boat to try to open a window to get into the building. The wind was so strong that the boat got out of control and was blown across the street from The Manor and lodged in some trees. I grabbed onto a fence in front of The Manor. I was trying to think of a way to get to the boat but the current was too strong. I then grabbed a automobile tire that came floating by, thinking I could use it as a floating device to maneuver towards the boat. But as the tide was rising and the fence was no longer visible, I could no longer hold on to the fence. I then thought this would be a good time to try to make it across Hannan Boulevard to the boat containing my family. The current was so strong; I missed reaching the boat by about 10 feet and floated toward a tree. I was able to grab onto a limb of that tree. I knew there was no way I could swim back against the current to get to the boat, so I continued to hang on to the tree.
I could see my family in the boat about 50 feet away, but just could not get to them. I hung on to that tree for almost 4 hours, watching my family in the boat, and never thought any of us would make it out alive. I prayed and made a lot of promises to God. I was yelling to Missy to keep bailing rainwater out of the boat. She had a small cup that could only pick up a tiny amount of water, but she continued working hard at bailing out small amounts of water.
It was very cold, at one point a garbage dumpster came floating by. I was trying to think of a way to get inside of it, instead I took out a plastic bag and wrapped myself in it.
When the winds died down, the neighbor was able to drive the boat to The Manor, deposit the women and then come back to get me. I knew my prayers were answered!
My brother-in-law (Morgan) and nephew (Christopher), had escaped from their home nearby by cutting a hole in the roof with an ax. They came looking for us and found us later that day in one of the buildings in The Manor. Others were beginning to arrive at the manor, some just floating up on debris.
When no one came to rescue us, Morgan and Christopher and some other men went out in the boat to seek help and also began rescuing people along the way. We had to be careful not to hit rooftops, cars, fences and other debris submerged or floating in the water. We were grabbing anything edible or drinkable that floated by for our future use. We were left to survive on our own, not knowing when or if anyone would come to rescue us before food and water ran out. On one of the rooftops, we found my son, Edwin, Jr. who joined the men in the boat and started rescuing people from houses and rooftops.
At the Manor we used a bucket on a rope and lowered it into the flood waters to get water to flush the toilets. Some of us took a bath in a Jacuzzi tub containing clean water that came floating by.
I was forced to use articles of womens clothing from the Manor to change my contaminated clothing. All my pride was gone!!!!
We knew we had to get out. My wife was getting hysterical, my aged mother-in-law was out of her medications and our food and water had run out.
There were no Coast Guard or policemen or helicopters in our area in those first several days. On Wednesday evening, we saw a fireman and other civilians in boats helping to rescue people. Some of the firemen were in small boats rowing with paddles. The firemen instructed us to get a list of all of the people in the building and they told us that they would come back on Thursday morning at 10 am to rescue us near St. Bernard Highway.
On Thursday morning, all the occupants of the Manor were loaded into boats and taken to St. Bernard Highway, to 1 waiting school bus. We were then brought to a ferryboat to cross the Mississippi River to Algiers, where we were given water. Then we were taken by the school bus to a shelter in Lake Charles, La – about a 6 hour ride. At Lake Charles, we were warmly greeted by the Red Cross, who gave us food, cots, blankets, tetanus shots and allowed us to contact family members. I finally got a pair of shoes and mens clothing!
My daughters Lori, Jolie and Annie who had all pleaded with us to evacuate, did not know if we were dead or alive. After seeing the Cantrell family name posted on a web site for missing persons, Gloria’s cousin in Atlanta (Julie) was in touch with my sister Diane in Ruston through e-mail and phone contact. Julie arranged for airline tickets to get Gloria &, Missy to Atlanta and Yvonne to relatives in Memphis. I wanted to go to my sister Diane’s home in Ruston, La. Relatives who had already evacuated from Plaquemine Parish to Lafayette, La drove to Lake Charles to pick up myself, Morgan & Christopher.
My son, Edwin Jr., stayed back to keep rescuing people, getting them to higher land to be evacuated by officials later. He stayed until Saturday, Sept 3, when the National Guard insisted he leave. He was taken to Baton Rouge where family members picked him up. After numerous phone calls and emails, all Cantrell family members who went in numerous directions, before during and after the storm have been contacted and are all safe. Thank God