2008 Woodie Awards
Katrina impact reaches campus
Two Louisiana evacuees with diabetes get their blood checked at the Amarillo Civic Center.
Rachel Nelson
Issue date: 9/8/05 Section: Front Page
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The catastrophic storm has affected millions, including Amarillo College employees. People all over the country are feeling the devastation left in Katrina's path.
Dora Ramos is a senior staff assistant in AC's High School Equivalency program.
"I do have family in the Lafitte and Metairie areas of Louisiana (suburbs of New Orleans). I also have an aunt and cousins in McComb, Miss. As of just a few minutes ago, I still have not been able to reach them by phone or cell phone," Ramos said.
Ramos does know that her family in Louisiana evacuated to Houston for safety.
Friends and family members continue to wait in suspense for phone calls from loved ones to ease their worried minds.
"My brother and his family are from Homa, La.," said Thomas Sanders, an AC business office employee.
"He has been through a lot of these in the time he has been in that area.
"He packed three carloads of his family and moved 200 miles inland. We have heard from them, and they are OK. Now there is no power, and all phones are out, including cell phones. We are waiting to hear from them now."
According to Sanders, former East Campus employee Lisa Simmons left AC to follow her husband's work in Louisiana two months ago.
"They heeded the warning about the hurricane and moved inland away from the storm," Simmons said.
Many residents of the storm-battered areas will start life afresh in different areas.
"Lisa Simmons is on the road returning to Amarillo," Sanders said. "She tells me that they have lost everything that they had with them except a small suitcase and their car. She feels that they may close the call center (where her husband works) in Louisiana and move to another location. Their future is unknown at this time."
Some families in the affected areas were separated in the process of evacuating their homeland.
"My cousin lives in New Orleans with his family," said Kathleen McGee, a part-time instructor.
"He works for an offshore drilling company. They evacuated to Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday.
"We're keeping up with him through my aunt who lives in Gruver. I'm guessing that his wife and youngest daughter will come to Gruver and live until they can go home. His oldest daughter stayed with friends that were north of the lake. We have not heard a report on her since the storm."
Organizations such as the American Red Cross and Southern Baptist Convention rushed to aid the hurricane victims. Local churches have taken love offerings to donate to the devastation.
Many hurricane evacuees are finding refuge at the American Red Cross shelter in the Amarillo Civic Center. About 750 Gulf Coast residents were expected, but by Tuesday the number was less than 150. Hundreds of volunteers and city employees have aided in the cause.
Civic center employee Steve Nelson has been attending to the guests during night hours. Nelson is a first-year general studies major at AC.
"I'll have to make sure that everything works, the climate is good in the building and that everything is clean and safe," Nelson said. "We will make the best accommodations for them that we can."
According to Nelson, cots for sleeping are set up in the North Exhibit Hall of the building. The South Exhibit Hall is where meals are provided.
During their stay in Amarillo, the visitors will receive a variety of luxuries.
"There's medical attention, and they've got a phone station where they can make calls," Nelson said. "I'm sure that there's probably some sort of disaster counseling going on up there."
Nelson said he heard rumors that the hurricane victims will be lodged downtown until October.
"But I think it depends on how fast the government gets with it to provide them with vouchers for housing," he said.
The recovery from Katrina is expected to take years. Ramos said she believes there is one thing everyone can do to help.
"Please keep them, as all of New Orleans, my hometown, Mississippi and others that have surpassed Hurricane Katrina's path, in your prayers," she said.