There have been many natural disasters that have occurred in our country over the years, but happened during hurricane Katrina has really stuck with most of us for the years it has been since the tragedy happened. It could be that for the first times we really saw how devastating an event such as this can be because of the hours and hours of news coverage that it had. It was a part of our lives for months as we watched the residents of New Orleans and so many other towns try to get their bearings and recover.

During the storms we watched in anticipation of how bad it was going to be. It exceeded all expectations as we were able to see how many people were driven from their homes and the rescue of those who did not make it out in time and became trapped on the rooftops and even in the water itself. There were people hanging on to trees for dear life. We saw the horrible conditions that refugees were forced to live in at the stadium because they had no place else to go and the government could not respond fast enough to keep everyone supplied with adequate food and water.

This is when so many volunteers came from all over the country bringing everything they could to bring aid to these thousands and thousands of these flood victims. The water damage was everywhere and it was not possible for the refugees to go home even after the water receded. In many cases they were depending on the volunteers to help them renovate and repair their homes, that is, if they had a home that could be salvaged at all.

The supplies that were brought in by churches, other organizations, and individuals were badly needed in the months to come. The clean up work that the volunteer performed was so helpful in getting neighborhoods back in habitable condition. There were doctors and nurses who dedicated their time to help those who were injured and ill because in some cases the hospitals were either damaged themselves or could not accommodate everyone.

For those who did not get a government trailer to temporarily call home, there was simply no where for them to go. It was amazing how people from other states opened up their homes and took in entire families to live with them and help them to begin a new life in a new place. Some people that had rental homes donated their use to some of these homeless families to use until they could find jobs and do better for themselves. Sometimes human kindness knows no bounds during disasters like these, it is just a shame that it takes devastating events such as this to bring out the best in some of us.