For eight years I lived on the Navy Base in Belle Chasse, LA. Anytime there was a tropical storm coming our way, the base would get ready to evacuate. It was very normal for my family and I to have to leave for a small storm or a catagory one hurricane. When Katrina was coming, everyone thought it would be no big deal and it would just pass on by like they usually do. This time was different. When my dad came home from work and said it was time to vacate for a few days, my brother and I got excited and packed an overnight bag. I only had about four changes of clothes. We decided to go to Nashville, TN. After a week went by,naturally, we started to worry that we had nothing to go back to. About two weeks into the evacuation, my parents suprised my brother and I with some disappointing news. They were having my grandparents pick us up and we would have to stay with them in Ohio, so my parents could go home and see the damage. Two miserable months later, we finally go to go home. When I was on the plane, it was depressing to see all the damage beneath me as we were getting ready to land. I felt so many emotions running through me. It was scary. When we got home, our house was more normal looking then most houses. My family was very lucky to have little damage. Some of my neighbors came back to only a slab of foundation. My dad is an active member in the Belle Chasse Volunteer Fire Department. He was able to help so many familys! I am very proud of the fact that we could help the people around us. Everyone was willing to give a helping hand no matter what their own personal damage was. I guess that is just another example of southern hospitality!