I couldn't get online with recent posts. Supposedly an engineering problem, so I am way behind. But I am posting this now before I get back to work, cuz there are lots of posts piling up. Virginia

Trip Into Hell

Bill Walker
wildbill6807@yahoo.com

Maybe trip into hell isn't the right words. But to the people that lived there, and so on it might be close. I am speaking of Katrina. One that has never seen what is left after a battle of war, might like to see this war zone. I think it would be about the same. Now I don't think it is wise to take your next R and R trip there. You might not like paying 131 dollars a night for a room in a motel. More on motels in a bit.

Leah and I met many people of many different reasons for being there. Each had a story. There was people that lived there at one time. Those had a home of some class, now most are what one could call homeless. Each has a story to tell. Each for the most part had insurance, now the insurance people don't know them.

They also was people who was tax payers. Now some wonder if they are known by the government at times. Now I will try best I can to tell what I seen I seen buildings, some standing with windows and doors blown out. Some with more damage, maybe you could tell those was buildings say two or three stories. Some buildings just could say there was a building a few months ago. Now it is a pile of rubble.

Now this also was the case for houses. There was houses with tar paper roofs now. Some whole roof was covered from end to end. While some just a few feet. Then you would see houses with no roof at all. That is nothing to really put tar paper on. Oh the wall might still be there, but the real roof was total gone with the wind.

Then you would see houses with a side blown out, many like that There would be houses that even had been moved. I seen one that the house moved enough, one wall was right against a tree. The house looked like it was kind of broken in the middle. That is the roof wasn't in to great a shape.

Lots of houses had the look of a box torn open to get what was inside, then you would stomp on it after getting the goodies out. I seen many a pile of what once was inside of a house near the streets. There was also many a pile of what was once a fine home.

Now people let me tell you something. From the pictures one may see of these homes, one might say a lot of these homes didn't amount to much. Don't you believe it. These homes for the most part ran in the range of 200,000 dollars and up. One home that looked like the city dump, ran in the range of one million dollars. There isn't a wall left standing, just one big pile of rubble, with many little piles of rubble here and there.

When wind can take out a large well built bridge, you have been in a storm. When wind can take out old long standing government buildings, that is a storm. Now the insurance people claims is, it was all water that did the damage. I would like to add my two bits here. I seen a row of columns standing, all leaning the same way. Water?

Well maybe, but these were big fellows. I would believe more like a wind storm, maybe did have help of water. A bridge made a pile of rubble. I believe a bridge is a way to cross water. There fore the bridge would be made to stand water, and the flow and force of water. Now I have pictures of said bridge. The thing that is damaged best I can see was the deck or rood way of bridge. What would cause that? WIND!!!!

Now I found another thing that debunks the water, or flood idea.

Leah home was nearer to the water. About a mile more inland is a golf course.

First off Leah does not play golf, never had such a thing as a golf ball. I found what looked like brand new golf balls on her land. I think a couple things here. These golf balls may have never met up with a golf club, or was hit one time and lost in the rough. Now I did find about 4, or 5 balls. Would water have carried them to her little corner of the world? Maybe but I would think more like what is said a wind storm can do.

Any fool knows, these storms comes with two things. That is wind, and water. The wind picks up large amounts of water, building up stronger as it moves. It dumps the water like you can't believe, both before and after the eye passed by. You are going to get hit by large amounts of water before, and after. So say your home with stood the first dumping of water, the wind ripped the place apart. How what is left gets the dumping of water from the back side. So you will have rubble that is wetted down.

Now we seen motels that had a couple of feet of water in the first floor. The walls and such was left standing. Some damage here or there to allow water in. Rain water, not a flood from the sea. Now I know the cost of a motel room in normal times does cost a bit more there. You know how that goes. Any where people likes to go for a special get away, cost is always more. But now we have the excuse of rooms are really hard to find. So the cost may go up more. This one place, the power is off to run the elevaters. but we charge 110 dollars a night for a bed. Also we do not have other things we would have if things was up to par. Another motel charges 131 dollars. The inside looks like a war zone. Don't drink the water or take a bath. seems like the water has a funny brown look to it. In normal time we have a breakfast for you. Not now, but the price is said to be the same as if we did.

Every thing is not a bummer. Let me tell you one thing or two.

I found many good people. I in fumbling around got stuck by a rusty nail. I went to a certain place to get the needed shot. I waited my turn at the first aid tent. One lady helped me fill out the paper. I had forgot my glasses. I use any excuse to talk to a pretty lady you know. She told me much. Each person there was in the medical field some where. She was from Canada. Nice people wouldn't you say?

Each had came for the most part to help out in time of need. God Bless them. There was many people like this, they were in some field of work back home some where. They are really needed here in this sad time in history.

I seen many church groups from all over, there with help, working with one another. I seen no church group beating the drums of church thinking, but to help those in time of need. Now that is Christian. Sure the vans might be marked with Last Baptist Church of North Carolina or something like that, but they were there to help. I seen many signs, of different churches, from different towns and states. Just good people, all with heart.

I also seen and did talk to men that had come to work from different places. Lots of them worked for a city else where. The city sent them to do the same work here with pay and so on just like they were working at home. Yes people does have heart.

We also seen something real strange. I never in my life seen armed guards out side of an insurance office. Leah found her insurance man. That is the one that took her money. He now has two standing out side the door. Armed guards that is.

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