David and Andrea Sutherland, of 624 11th St., have taken in Andrea's uncle, Bob Overton; his two sons, Sam and Joel; and Phyllis Overton, Andrea's grandmother. All four Overtons lived in Chalmette in the New Orleans' Parish of St. Bernard, one of the hardest hit areas southeast of the city of New Orleans.
Evacuating the city before Katrina hit, Bob and his family were spared the hardships and tribulations of those who stayed. Instead the family was able to find refuge in Nevada two Thursdays ago, bringing to an end a long, frustrating and sometimes frightening trip from the Gulf region and the introduction to a new life in Nevada with gracious family members.
"They have been a blessing, believe me," said Bob about his niece's family.
Bob, along with his mother Phyllis, is originally from Iowa, from the town of Jefferson. Bob has lived in New Orleans for the past 20 years. Living in the region for that long Bob says he has evacuated from his home seven to eight times because of various hurricanes, but had always been able to return and face minimal damage. But Katrina's force was unmatched by any of the previous storms St. Bernard had encountered.
Unlike portions of New Orleans, which are 6 to 8 feet below sea level, St. Bernard sits two feet above sea level, making it the highest spot in New Orleans, which is a reassuring thought for residents when hurricanes do threaten the region. But when Katrina's eye passed right over the parish, bringing 137 mph winds and water pouring over the Parish's levees, nothing was left for residents who stayed.
Bob and his family were almost lured into riding the storm out, but a decision to leave was made at the last minute. "We were thinking about staying; it was in our minds," he said.
Before deciding to leave, the Overtons had made preparations to stay by filling tubs with water, buying groceries and boarding up their home. Bob felt they could make it for a few weeks. But after a plea for the safety of his two sons from their grandfather, a hasty decision was made Sunday afternoon to leave, joining many others who would have normally stayed despite the mandatory evacuation.
"This storm got so big, and it was aimed right at us, so many people left," said Bob.
Leaving around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, with roads out of New Orleans being closed at 6, the Overtons grabbed just enough provisions and supplies such as pillows, blankets, food and some clothing to make it for what they believed would only be a three- to four-day evacuation period.
Getting out of New Orleans with the intention of finding a hotel out of the storm's path and to return when it passed, the Overtons took two cars on the roadways where it became a slow going, but orderly process out of town.
"All four lanes were bumper to bumper at 10 to 20 miles per hour," said Bob, who also had no communication with his son, Sam, who was driving the second car behind him. This was because cell phone lines in the New Orleans area code were jammed.
The Overtons eventually made it to Hattiesburg, Miss., a 90-minute trip from New Orleans on any other day, but a trip that took some eight hours in evacuee traffic.
Using hand communication between the two cars, the Overtons were able to maneuver out of the traffic onto a less traveled alternate route towards Alabama. However, they were soon slowed again as the first remnants of Katrina started to make land fall.
Driving through pitch blackness, heavy rain and what Bob estimated as 50 to 60 mile per hour winds, the family encountered rain squalls which concealed the taillight of Bob's lead vehicle to Sam and his grandmother in the second car only three feet behind.
To find a place to weather the storm, the family had to drive two hours outside of Hattiesburg across Mobile Bay into Alabama where they were able to find temporary refuge in a hotel in Daphne.
The Overtons were able to secure a room there thanks to reservations that were beginning to be canceled as evacuees and travelers failed to make it into town.
Hoping to leave after the storm passed, the family ended up staying three days in the hotel, 13 hours of which were spent without electricity due to Katrina.
"Nobody was getting any information," recalled Phyllis, which led to frustration and uncertainty over whether it was safe or even feasible to return home.
Fortunately, while they were not able to receive any calls, the Overtons' cell phones were able to call out of the Gulf area. This prompted Phyllis to call her daughter in Cedar Falls on Tuesday to determine the extent of the damage to New Orleans.
Hearing the news of the state of affairs in New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish, the Overtons had to deal with the fact that this was no longer a short-term evacuation, which took some time to sink in.
"It didn't hit till you see your house, and you realize it could be a year before you could move back in...but the feeling right away was uncertainty," said Bob
The Overton's concerns were soon lifted by the Sutherlands and Andrea, who had decided to take in her uncle, cousins, and grandmother before she was contacted.
"There really was no decision," said Andrea, "we were really happy (to take them in)... and we had the most room."
Andrea's husband David says the first couple of days after the family arrived were somewhat hectic with trying to find sleeping arrangements and space for the four relatives, but after a friend loaned them a camper conditions improved. Though David says it wouldn't have mattered if the Overtons had to live in his living room for two months. "It's what you do for family."
Two to three months is the actual time frame the Overtons look to be in Nevada. Internet satellite images of Bob Overton's house at first looked to show the two story house missing its roof but now the house only appears to have suffered flood damage as the first floor was under about eight feet of water. From looking at the rest of the parish on the Internet and television, Bob says the underwater town has virtually been condemned, with relief efforts just reaching the parish of 40,000 affected homes last week.
Despite the destruction, Bob is still clamoring to get back home. "We've got to get what stuff is left and bulldoze my house. "I've got to rebuild."
In the meantime, the Overtons have found acceptance in Nevada.
"(Nevada) is like a retirement community compared to what were used too, with the baseball fields and grass," said Bob.
Bob's son Sam has been most impressed by Nevada's people. "Everyone is so accepting ... and (Andrea and David) have made the transition a lot easier than it could have been."
Nevada has also made contributions to the Overton's cause. Burke, where David is employed, gave Sam Overton a maintenance job, along with the company owner pledging to match 100 percent of whatever donations his employees contribute to a hurricane relief fund.
The Nevada School District has also enrolled Joel into the eighth grade, waiving his enrollment fees, getting him a book bag of school supplies and a pair of cleats to allow him to play on the football team.
Phyllis has taken the opportunity to visit area family, and Bob has been spending his time contacting FEMA and filing insurance claims to recoup the losses on his home. He is also awaiting possible word to return to his job as a petroleum inspector in the Gulf region once production is ready to resume.
The Overtons have been able to make contact with friends from back home and to the best of their knowledge everyone seems to be safe in various shelters throughout the country.
The Overtons feel fortunate to know their family and friends survived the storm and its aftermath, and that they themselves have been able to find shelter and generosity in Nevada. However, when comparing the Overtons' current situation to what other evacuees have been able to find in terms of shelter and provisions, Bob finds it difficult to take any more charity.
"We made it out. Yeah, I lost my house, but it's hard to take charity when the need has already been met, and the need is actually down there when we have to go back."
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