John Stennis Space Center,MS.
Hurricane Katrina -- Your Thoughts, Messages and Stories Blog
by Special Editorial
Monday September 5, 2005
John Stennis Space Center,MS.
My name is Gary Burdorf. I'm an employee of Pratt@Whittney / Rocketdyne here at our test facility, the John Stennis Space Center,MS. I rode the storm out here like other employees. This is home for now; these last two days we got our power back online -- have since been delivering food, water, medical supplies, etc. to our neighboring friends, and all employee families. This test site employs about 5,000 people. All supplies have been coming from our company locations all over the country. Quite a lot of these folks have lost everything; but we'll make it with God's help. Roads were being cleared of tree debris after the storm passed that Sunday. The people of the South have learned not to wait for Gov.t / state help. You just pick yourself up and get to work in this very long process of recovery. I myself live in Slidell, Louisiana which is 37 miles from New Orleans. My apt. building is just about 1 mile from Lake Pontchartrain on Hwy. 11 which runs into Slidell. Hwy. 11 is no more; looks like a war zone. Amazing thing is my apt. is still standing with no damage. We were able to drive there a few days ago thru make shift roads here and there. The Eden Isles homes for the most part are still standing. Yet most have to be gutted / rebuilt. We went to my friend's home. His boat dock to his patio is approx. 15 feet on a 45-degree angle. Looking from his front room to the water, the water line in his front room came up to my chest. I'm almost 6' tall. There must have been a water surge of around 20 to 25 feet. Some areas reported 40 feet. Hurricanes average on a Category 3. This one was monster. I just can't understand why people stayed this time?! I had a very bad feeling about this one !!! "Katrina" by no means was a lady. This storm was one of a kind which may never be seen again. I sure hope so.
Thank you, Gary
Burdorf@charter.net
4800 Pontchartrain Drive
Apt. # 14
Slidell, Louisiana, 70458
