CoasterGallery.com Archive

Hurricane Katrina Information
An open letter from Joel Rogers to the viewers of CoasterGallery.com.

September 5, 2005 -- As many of you know, my brother Jeff lives in the New Orleans area. He moved to Mandeville, Louisiana a little over a year ago. I would like to take this time and respond to those of you who have inquired about his current circumstances.

Jeff was lucky to escape Louisiana less than 24 hours before Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. He took shelter in Georgia for nearly a week. While communicating with him was difficult this week, we took comfort that he was safe.

Jeff's fianc� Lauren is a nurse and had to stay behind at her home hospital. She worked for nearly four days straight. She saw many horrors both outside and inside of the hospital. Conditions were grim with way too many patients, no phones, no computers, and very limited electricity. Despite the hardships, the doctors and nurses were heroic by keeping the hospital running. Since it was the only hospital operating in the area, it was a wonderful service that they were able to provide.

Since Jeff and his fianc� live on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain, they were spared the brunt of the damage. Jeff's house is in fairly good shape, his fianc�'s house has some water damage, but they did lose a number of trees. While the falling trees did little damage to their homes, many of their neighbor's trees did damage to homes and vehicles. In Jeff's neighborhood, the damage was very random. Some homes are unscathed while some have roofs missing and others are nearly demolished. Slidell, located just to the East of Mandeville, has been "blown off the face of the earth" in the words of Jeff. And I am sure you all know what the New Orleans area is like.

As of Saturday night, Lauren is back working at the hospital, and Jeff just returned to Louisiana. He is staying at with Lauren's family for a while. They are having problems finding food, water, and gasoline, but they are beginning the rebuilding process. Telephone service is spotty at best, and only a few businesses have electricity.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people who weren't as fortunate as Jeff and Lauren.

Jeff's future is a little unclear at the moment. He won't be teaching because all of the schools are closed for the foreseeable future. His wedding was supposed to happen in three weeks, but that is off for now. He and Lauren plan on an quick exchange of vows and rings in about a week, then plan on inviting family and friends for a big reception later this year after things become closer to normal in the area. Jeff and Lauren still plan on going on their honeymoon later this month even if they don't get married. After all they have been through recently, they need a chance to get away and relax.

In the next few weeks, Jeff's church will be needing a great deal of materials and money as they help rebuild the area, and I intend to post a link to their efforts as one becomes available. In the mean time, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and countless other national and local organizations are all needing our assistance.

As I think of how Hurricane Katrina has affected my family, I am grateful that it wasn't worse. My heart breaks at the losses shown on the television. I can't comprehend the grief that must be felt by those who lost everything. I also dread how many people lost their lives this week. And I am sure you have heard it many times this week, but I hope that everyone can help the victims in whatever way they can.

Thank you once again for everyone who was concerned for Jeff's well being. It has been a week to remember the importance of our friends, our family, and our faith.