Well, tomorrow is the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
I hate this time of year. I really, really hate it. It's funny, because I was pretty okay for the first year after the hurricane, but by the second anniversary, I'd begun to have anxiety. I don't want to talk about it, see pictures of it, or watch TV coverage of it. Might be some delayed PTSD or something…I'm not sure. It took me days to even think of discussing it again on my blog. Even now, my eyes are stinging, my stomach is churning, and my heart is pounding.
For those who don't know, we lost everything in Katrina, including our brand new house. My husband, who is in the Coast Guard, had to live on his ship for a year following the storm, and my son and I had to go to Washington state to live with my parents, since we were homeless. It was a horrible time for us, but ultimately, we recovered. And as much as I hate to deal with Katrina, I do credit the disaster with the reason I got published. I'd hit rock bottom, felt I had nothing to lose, so I started writing without any rules, any restrictions, and basically, just let myself go.
Had Katrina not happened, I might have stayed in the groove I was in, writing contemporary romance that didn't fit my voice. So Katrina sucked, but some good came of it.
I don't think I can really go into it as deeply as I'd like to, so I'll point you to the posts I made immediately following the storm. I'd sent emails to Stephanie, and she posted them for me.
This first one is what I wrote while I was evacuated…I was terrified and wasn't sure exactly the extent of the damage, and I didn't know if my cat, who had been too sick to evacuate with (he was at the vet's,) was still alive.
This second one was written when I learned the extent of the damage and was heading back to Mississippi to start clean-up.
This one was written after I arrived in Ocean Springs and saw just how bad it was…
And this was the first update I made after I got to Washington state and began to chronicle cleanup.
The cleanup posts are still on my blog, and you can do a search for them under the Hurricane Katrina category, but the pictures are no longer up. They were lost during the website re-design. They were pretty incredible pictures, though.
Though we had a long haul that included years of hell dealing with insurance companies and crooked contractors, we finally got our destroyed house rebuilt and sold. Yes, we rebuilt it even though we were no longer living there — we had to…we were still making mortgage payments on the destroyed thing. In order to not loose 100K, we had to rebuild. We still lost money, but at least it wasn't 100K.
I do want to say that the state of Mississippi handled things really well. I have absolutely NO complaints about the state's response, their preparedness, or their ability to handle hurricanes. They had the National Guard, electric companies, and rescue personnel staged outside the hurricane path well before Katrina hit, and they rushed in the second it was over. Money given to the state by the federal government was spent on the people who lost their houses and jobs. I might not want to go back to the gulf coast to live, but if I had to, I wouldn't hesitate to give my thumbs' up to Mississippi.
So anyway, we're recovered, and very, very lucky. There area still a lot of people who haven't been as fortunate, so I figured I can get over my reluctance to deal with the anniversary in order to honor everyone else who was affected and who still feels the damage.
Thank you to everyone who came to my family's aid during that horrible time. Without you, I don't know what we'd have done. Your generosity got us back on our feet, and we'll be forever grateful.
Now, I think I'm going to have a beer and toast the fact that I'm in Wisconsin, where I'd much rather deal with a blizzard than a hurricane! 
Hugs, love. That was a horrible time. I hope the trauma you suffered will lessen as time goes by.
Impossible to read this and remain unmoved. Powerful, powerful stuff. Nothing can make up for such devastating loss and upheaval.
But that such a strong voice came out of it…maybe not exactly a silver lining but definitely some kind of karma.
Wow. I’m not sure how I’ve managed to chat with you the past couple of years and not know this. I had no idea. I’m in complete awe of your strength, and I’m just that much more impressed with your attitude and your success. *hugs*
Larissa, I send hugs and love.
Those are really powerful posts. I’m going to bed tonight just a bit broken. I can’t imagine what it was like (and still is) for you. I’m glad you and your family (and cat!) are alright. Seems like you made it through and things are only going to get better.
It was weird reading about Snowbound being rejected, seeing as it was the book that brought me to you.
Take care hun!
(((((hugs!!))))
Through my employer, I worked in Southern Louisiana about 9 months after the storm. Even though that much time had passed, I could not believe the complete carnage that was still there. Even now when I go to New Orleans, I can still see it when I go through the 9th ward. Life will never be the same for those coastal states but I truly believe that if you survived it, you are a stronger person for it.
Ms. Larissa, I did not realize you lived (or are from) New Orleans. I live about an hour and forty minutes down south from there. So I know exactly what you mean. It affected a lot more than just New Orleans. But you are right… we are recovering. Hugs to you honey.
Larissa, I can remember crying while watching this on tv. I can’t imagine what you went through! But I really admire all those who toughed it out and didn’t lose hope. I love your attitude and I love the fact that not only did something good come from it, but that you were able to see that it did! Hope it continues to grow easier for you each day!
I think of you every year on this day, not to remember the horror of Katrina, but to remind myself of just how resilient writers can be, especially in the face of impossible odds. If I’d told you back then that you’d be here now, I doubt you would have believed me. And yet here you are, thanks to all your determination and because you didn’t give up on yourself or the work. I think of that strength every time I see one of your books on the shelves.
I also think of you on this day every year. Watching it all happen from my safe family room was still very troubling.
I still can’t get over how much destruction there was. It’s amazing how well most people have recovered though there are still SO many in need.
Big hugs and lots of love sent your way.
Larissa,
*So sorry for this life altering event & how it affected you & all of the coast.
*It was awful to watch on TV, here in TN, thinking DO SOMETHING!!!! So helpless…
*My baby boy was 9 months old…and all I could think about was the momma’s & their babies. The hunger, crying & need for diapers etc…
*A local group organized a drop off…we boxed canned items & personal items and sent a few large trucks down to that area. I will never know..who received them..and if it helped..but it was something…and hope someone would do that for me.
Hugs & prays still for those affected & still recovering !!
Oh Larissa, ((hugs)) just ((hugs)).
I’m feeling a little weepy just reading this post, I can’t imagine what you must go through on the anniversary of something like that.
Enjoy your beer.
Warmest Regards
Lea
Thanks, everyone! It’s weird how this time of year really weighs on a lot of people. I was VERY fortunate to have a huge support system within the writing community — every email, blog post, package and donation meant SO much to me and my family. And it was because of people like Lynn Viehl, Stephanie Tyler, Alison Kent, Vibeke Courtney, Maya Banks, Amy Knupp and SO many others that I got back on the writing horse, I wouldn’t be where I am without them!
Larissa: I’m a hugger, so first and foremost – *HUG* Until this post, I had completely forgotten about your history in New Orleans. What an amazing ordeal to have survived. I am thankful that you can look back with some positive now. And, although I am sorry that you and your family suffered so much, I am glad that you decided to write some paranormal and “non-contemporary” romances! Best wishes for an amazing “next 5 years.” *HUGS*
I had no idea that you and your family went through this horrible event like so many others.
You amaze me. Your strength to carry on during that rough time. If it had been me, I don’t know what I would have done.
Larrissa, I know what you mean, my grandmother, brohter, aunts and uncles are from Ocean Springs and Biloxi, my grandmother completlely lost her house over 25′ of water and my dad and brother had over 7.5′ of water everything distroyed, we spent about 2 years of weekdns helping rebuild my dads, it took over a year before my grandmother could move into her new house and it was hard going into a new house that sat where I grew up at, so my prayers our with you and your family because I know how hard it was, its makes you a stronger person and makes you realize how important your family is. Love To You and YOur Amazing Family.