Most people associate Hurricane Katrina with the people of New Orleans. It was an horrific natural disaster that affected many. It wiped out one of our favorite spots on earth, Ft. Pickens Campground in Pensacola, Florida.
Nearly one year after the hurricane, we drove to Florida to see how the area had changed. My son-in-law's family has a place on the beach just down the road from Ft. Pickens. When we turned to go down the familiar road, my heart hammered and it felt like I couldn't get my breath. The devastation was still apparent as homes and hotels STILL lay roadside in huge piles of rubble. The barrier island used to be at sea level. To our left was the Gulf and to our right was the bay, both a stone's throw away. But a year later they had bulldozed a twenty-foot high, debris filled sandwall in front of the Gulf, and the turqouise water was not visible at all. the narrow strip of road was washed out.
The family's condo was still intact, but the swimming pool was non-existent as it had filled with sand. The bay was debris strewn. I can't explain the pain and empathy I felt as we drove through what appeared to be a war zone. I cried. It hurt deeply to see the devastation. The area has since recovered; new high rise hotels are back and the road, though it floods, and the campground are open again.
That same elephant-sitting-on-my-chest feeling has returned this morning after watching the tornado devastation down South. Those poor people. My heart goes out to them, my prayers go heavenward. They will recover, but they will forever be changed.