General Discussion

intheflow

(29,662 posts)

70. I was here - and there.

Sun Aug 31, 2025, 12:08 PM

Sunday

I went down with the Red Cross to Biloxi for a week or two, then drove a motor home down to Houston which I donated to a nice couple who had lost everything. Then I stayed in Houston and helped the Red Cross there for a couple weeks. Then I basically moved to Biloxi for two years to run a volunteer camp. I posted a few photographic essays that were so popular I had to upgrade my hosting site and they were used in several college courses. All now lost to the old DU journals, alas!

I met quite a few DUers while down there, who either lived there or came down to work. I remember there was a veteran march across the country protesting the war and urging those resources to rebuild the coast. I also remember reaching out to Swamp Rat to see if they wanted to meet up, but they declined. 😞

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Hekate LeftInTX love_katz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blackwater was there to help Clouds Passing Saturday #48

I remember him or her. senseandsensibility Saturday #3

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

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

Swamp Rat used to make canetoad Saturday #16

Yes, I remember that senseandsensibility Saturday #21

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

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

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

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

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

I remember bvar. Beautiful garden. yardwork Saturday #55

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I was here malaise Saturday #14

I was. H2O Man Saturday #15

I was here canetoad Saturday #18

Was here dweller Saturday #19

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

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

I was here evolves Saturday #24

I was here back then NoPasaran Saturday #25

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

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

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

It was indeed a couple of lifetimes ago Hekate Saturday #37

I was here. I miss Swampy. ms liberty Saturday #26

I was still teaching in Houston then... ananda Saturday #27

We were ther AverageOldGuy Saturday #28

I lived on Dunbar in BSL, but survived H. txwhitedove Saturday #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 Saturday #29

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

I was here Sequoia Saturday #33

I was in Crawford. carpetbagger Saturday #34

I Was Here Deep State Witch Saturday #35

I know Hekate Saturday #38

ben burch mopinko Saturday #40

Ben was always insightful blm Saturday #45

I was here. Silver Gaia Saturday #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 Saturday #43

I was mcar Saturday #44

I was here then. Dem2theMax Saturday #46

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

me Skittles Saturday #51

Me. And was intense. Itchinjim Saturday #52

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

I was here and I miss Swamp Rat. yardwork Saturday #57

I was lurking JustAnotherGen Saturday #58

Our family was visiting New Orleans and surrounding area few weeks before. hunter Saturday #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