Ten years ago, I remember watching the TV in my hotel in Florida as New Orleans was being swamped by Hurricane Katrina. Two days later I would drive through Mississippi, spend the night in my car loaded with three days of supplies, and finally arrive at Louis Armstrong International Airport. What I would find there will stay with me forever – triage areas, dozens of doctors and nurses caring for the injured, people being evacuated.
It was an incredible time of stress and sorrow and sometimes, joy, as I watched a woman get carried out of the floodwaters after being trapped in her attic for nine days. I had the opportunity to revisit New Orleans in July, and while I was glad to see the recovery that has happened, I also know there is a long way to go. I am hopeful that the next time a Katrina comes their way, we will all be better prepared.
