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Behind the Aegis

(55,638 posts)

63. My husband and I were in Oklahoma. Eight months later...

Sun Aug 31, 2025, 12:52 AM

Sunday

...we were living in NOLA. It was still a mess. It was the first time I ever met any DU'ers. My husband and I donated furniture to one member. And I got to meet Mrs.Grumpy. She was in Houston, which also suffered.

We had been to NOLA the year before and we wanted to live there. When the opportunity presented itself, we went. The city was slowly coming back, but many places never came back and the crime was horrible.

I'll never forget the first anniversary of Katrina. I was walking in Jackson Square and it was overcast and starting to rain. People were sullen, rightfully so. A huge peel of thunder rang out and 5yo (or so) screamed, started to cry and said, "Momma, momma! We have to go!" Broke my heart. He was so scared.

There have been several members who were from there. Many no longer post here anymore.

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Hekate love_katz

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Highlight:

Who was at DU during Hurricane Katrina? And, where is Swamp Rat? I was here & it was intense... [View all] Hekate Aug 30 OP

I remember fundraisers. There was a DU artist who made some beautiful masks out of NOLA mythology... Hekate Aug 30 #1

Me. I was monitoring blog posts from physicians at Memorial Hospital. It was absolutely devastating.. hlthe2b Aug 30 #2

We were getting real-time posts here that were just horrific. CNN did a good job showing the sports arena... Hekate Aug 30 #10

It all stays with me. I still remember the absolute devastation of a little boy being made to hlthe2b Aug 30 #30

Oh God the dogs. Afterward when boats were puttering thru the streets looking for human survivors Hekate Aug 30 #39

OMG, I remember that about the dog. murielm99 Sunday #61

Blackwater was there to help Clouds Passing Aug 30 #48

I remember him or her. senseandsensibility Aug 30 #3

I couldn't figure it out. It said over 50K posts for him. peacebuzzard Aug 30 #6

I think he was the poster who posted We are Losing New Orleans senseandsensibility Aug 30 #9

Swamp Rat used to make canetoad Aug 30 #16

Yes, I remember that senseandsensibility Aug 30 #21

that is strange. does not coincide with Katrina peacebuzzard Aug 30 #11

I remember that poster too. Pretty sure he was still posting when I joined in 2012 LeftInTX Aug 30 #20

I was. My son was living in New Orleans at the time, but had evacuated. likesmountains 52 Aug 30 #4

bvar, he was a really nice person (pretty sure he was male). MuseRider Aug 30 #32

Yes, I'm not sure about the gardening, but he was a very nice man. likesmountains 52 Aug 30 #50

I remember bvar. Beautiful garden. yardwork Aug 30 #55

I was in a thread with Swamp Rat and he left Norleans sometime around then peacebuzzard Aug 30 #5

I was here, watching Katrina from Chicago in horror. greatauntoftriplets Aug 30 #7

I remember residents scavenging for necessary supplies. Oh wait: those were *white* residents. Hekate Aug 30 #8

I remember that a number of us DUers commented on that. yardwork Aug 30 #56

I think he posted for a bit afterwards and disappeared. alittlelark Aug 30 #12

me too. I always think of him when katrina is mentioned. his posts were great. peacebuzzard Aug 30 #17

Wife and I at a secure location north of Bay St Louis, MS BOSSHOG Aug 30 #13

I'm so glad you were safe Hekate Sunday #62

I was here malaise Aug 30 #14

I was. H2O Man Aug 30 #15

I was here canetoad Aug 30 #18

Was here dweller Aug 30 #19

Listened to NPR all things considered. Blue Full Moon Aug 30 #22

Sorry, that was eleven years before I even started lurking here. Xavier Breath Aug 30 #23

I was here evolves Aug 30 #24

I was here back then NoPasaran Aug 30 #25

There was a small group of us there too. MuseRider Aug 30 #36

Will Pitt went to Camp Casey at Crawford, too Hekate Aug 30 #42

I think Ann's username was proud2blib...... hatrack Aug 30 #53

It was indeed a couple of lifetimes ago Hekate Aug 30 #37

I was here. I miss Swampy. ms liberty Aug 30 #26

I was still teaching in Houston then... ananda Aug 30 #27

We were ther AverageOldGuy Aug 30 #28

I lived on Dunbar in BSL, but survived H. txwhitedove Aug 30 #47

I was a long term volunteer and later ran a recovery camp out of Gulfport. intheflow Sunday #68

Exactly. Water came up to bed tops in house, truck flooded, early afternoon i walked back to my txwhitedove Sunday #71

I was here and I have never gotten over the loss of Swampy. MuseRider Aug 30 #29

I couldn't watch the CNN special, thinking of Swampy. Maru Kitteh Aug 30 #31

I was here Sequoia Aug 30 #33

I was in Crawford. carpetbagger Aug 30 #34

I Was Here Deep State Witch Aug 30 #35

I know Hekate Aug 30 #38

ben burch mopinko Aug 30 #40

Ben was always insightful blm Aug 30 #45

I was here. Silver Gaia Aug 30 #41

My profile says I became a member on Sun Mar 2, 2008, 01:30 AM, but I know I was lurking before then. generalbetrayus Aug 30 #43

I was mcar Aug 30 #44

I was here then. Dem2theMax Aug 30 #46

I joined close to when the site went up Quanto Magnus Aug 30 #49

me Skittles Aug 30 #51

Me. And was intense. Itchinjim Aug 30 #52

I was here and remember Swamp Rat. My wife and I just watched the new Netflix doc on Katrina. Devastating. NewHendoLib Aug 30 #54

I was here and I miss Swamp Rat. yardwork Aug 30 #57

I was lurking JustAnotherGen Aug 30 #58

Our family was visiting New Orleans and surrounding area few weeks before. hunter Aug 30 #59

I was here during all of it xmas74 Sunday #60

My husband and I were in Oklahoma. Eight months later... Behind the Aegis Sunday #63

I was. tavernier Sunday #64

I was heRE under another ID Captain Zero Sunday #65

Bush was such a moron, but Cheney was just cold evil. Finally they were gone, we got Barack Obama &... Hekate Sunday #66

They didn't seem to know what they were doing. LeftInTX Monday #74

I was. It was the 2nd most traumatic event of the BushII residency after the invasion of Iraq. A horror show. Crunchy Frog Sunday #67

You're forgetting 9/11. intheflow Sunday #69

Somehow, for me, the other two felt far more horrifying. Crunchy Frog Sunday #72

I was here - and there. intheflow Sunday #70

I was here reading all about it Tree Lady Monday #73

I was here under a different username róisín_dubh Monday #75

I was here on DU during that time and was in regular contact offline with Swamp Rat Pachamama Monday #76

I was! DenaliDemocrat Monday #77

Swamp Rat last posted here on April 28, 2011, but it was a technical post Rhiannon12866 Monday #78

I wasn't a member, but I was a daily reader. Americanme Monday #79

I was here Prairie Gates Monday #80

I was here RandiFan1290 Monday #81

Yes lark Monday #82

I was here. I made an embarrassingly asinine comment about it at the time, in fact. Orrex Monday #83

SwampRat was TOPS! Kid Berwyn Monday #84

I was not in New Orleans but Houston took in a large number of evacuees LetMyPeopleVote Monday #85

Evacuees... not refugees. B.See Monday #86

That was by far my most active time ever on DU. I definitely remember "Swamp Rat". /nt artemisia1 Monday #87

I was here. herding cats Monday #88

I was here with Swamp Rat, believe it or not... Hellbound Hellhound Monday #89