Former Emporian Cole Gilbert and her husband, Chad, moved to New Orleans in August 2004, one year before Hurricane Katrina hit. Now, a year after the storm, the couple has returned to try and pick up where their lives left off. The Gilberts returned to the city in June. Chad Gilbert returned to school this month at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Cole Gilbert, who is the daughter of Terry and Alicia Lambert of Emporia, lost her job to the storm and now works in the financial aid office at the seminary.
It’s been a year since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. What has changed in the city?
Everything. It’s definitely a different city. We live in area called Zentilly. Most of our area still looks the same way it did right after the storm hit, but we can tell that progress is being made. Homes where people have decided not to come back, really makes it look bad. Their yards are overgrown and their stuff is everywhere. There are other people really trying to get things cleaned up though.
What’s the most progress you’ve seen?
We’ve got three fast food restaurants open in the area now. We got a Church’s Chicken and a Burger King, but you have to go to Metairie for anything else. It’s a city right outside New Orleans, they just kind of blend together. Most of the little local hole-in-the-wall places are gone, which is sad. We had gotten to know some of the local business owners and now they’re gone.
Where are you living now?
We’re living on campus at the seminary. It’s a little oasis in the city. Everything is cleaned up and the grass is green. All around us is still pretty depressing, but the people are working really hard on getting it back. We lived in student housing before, but it was off campus. There are no apartments left now. You can buy a gutted house and try to fix it up, but we can’t afford that, so we’re living on campus.
What was it like before the storm hit?
We were out of town when the storm hit and just never came back. Chad’s parents live in Lafayette, La., so his dad drove over before the storm hit and got some of our pictures and clothes from our apartment — just anything he could fit in his car, just so we’d have a few things. We came back to New Orleans at end of October, so it was a couple of months that our stuff just sat there. We had no idea what we had lost.
What was it like, not knowing what you had to go back to?
It was really hard. There were lots of tears. It’s just stressful. You kind of had to grieve for that whole life. Your job was gone. Your friends were gone. Your house was gone. You had no idea if you’d lost everything you owned or not. But at the same time, you put in perspective and you realize that some people lost everything— family members, houses, all of their belongings, their lives.
Where did you go after the storm?
We visited people for a few weeks. It’s hard when you have really nowhere to go, but so many people helped us. We moved to Shreveport in north Louisiana. It took us a while to find an apartment, so we stayed with my aunt for a month. We just got jobs and waited until we could move back.
What did you see when you returned to your neighborhood?
You know you saw pictures in the news, but driving into our area was something else. I don’t even know how to describe it — just destruction. We first went back in October and there was nothing green. All the water killed the grass and the trees, and everything had this film of grime and dust on it. Everything was just gray. Cars were everywhere. People’s stuff was everywhere.
Going back was hard for us. Living in an apartment complex, we made plans for everyone in the complex to meet and go back together. We were on the second floor and the water only went up 10 feet. All of our stuff ended up being OK and we were able to get it all out. But everyone on the first floor lost absolutely everything. These people that didn’t have anything left were helping us carryout all of our things. We felt awful for them. We feel very blessed. A lot of people from Emporia sent money, gift cards and furniture. We’re very grateful.
Why did you decide to move back?
Some people think we’re crazy for moving back. It’s just that God has given us a heart for our city. We missed it. We were ready to come back. This is where we’re supposed to be. Chad finishing degree was a big reason to return, but now I think we’re more open to the thought of staying after he’s done with school.
Also, one of the main reasons we decided to come back was our church, Edgewater Baptist Church. It had 10 feet of water in it. It was completely destroyed. But we missed the people. We’ve been meeting in a big white tent for church. A lot of people who didn’t go to church before are now coming to our church. There’s nowhere else to go or hang out. People who live in FEMA trailers get lonely and depressed. It’s a place for them to go.
What is the mood of the city?
Hopelessness. If someone came down now, they’d say it still looks horrible, but it’s hard for people. The expense of having crews come in to clean up stuff is huge. Our church is gutting people’s houses for free. There are a lot of FEMA trailers everywhere, but it’s just slow. At a lot of homes, nothing has been done, which slows down the progress too. The city is giving people a deadline. Legally there’s rules about demolishing homes, the city can’t just go in and start tearing things down, but at some point they will have to do something. Something will have to be done to the homes of people not coming back.
Have friends returned?
A lot of people are coming back— our friends here at school and lot of students. This fall is the first time the seminary’s been completely open since the storm hit. It’s exciting to see people coming back. Everyone who has come back is excited to be here. New Orleans is one of those cities that once you live here, you have a heart for it. You just love it.
Where does the city go from here?
The city is working on plans for the future. And evacuation plans for if another storm comes. I don’t think it will ever be the same city. It will take a long time— years before everything’s cleaned up. So many people have come to help. My parents go to 12th Avenue Baptist Church in Emporia and a group from there came down to help. But there’s still so much to do. I hope people don’t forget about us and move on.
Is anything planned for the one year anniversary?
It’s like a city-wide cleaning day. All classes on campus are canceled so students, faculty and staff can have a work day in the city. Everyone wants to get involved and help. A lot of groups are planning different things. We want to celebrate the fact we’re back. Life’s not over here. We’re still here and we still love this city.
