Douglas Toland August 24, 2006

The devastation of the hurricane season of 2005 will be felt for years to come. During this series of traumatic events, I was living in Indiana. I was not directly affected by these events, and I can only imagine how it must have felt for those who were. Although I have family who live in the gulf coast region, none of them were directly affected either, so until I traveled here in March 2006, I was unable to connect to the tragedies named Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. The first time I saw the utter devastation was when I got a job in an area of clean-up. I was shocked that though half of a year had passed, the level of devastation was utterly apparent. I saw houses, neighborhoods and entire communities that made me feel as though I had walked into a war zone. Some houses looked like they had been kicked over, and others had been moved blocks away while still attached to the foundation. I trembled at the sight, and I still do. I am blessed to have never been through anything this horrible. I could write for days about the things that I saw that day and the days that followed. I can not begin to imagine the pain and anguish that all those affected feel still today, almost a year after the arrival of the hurricanes. All I can say, is that anyone who can not empathize with those who were affected, should come see it for themselves.