re: Craziest/Shadiest/Scariest thing you saw in Katrina Aftermath

Had a professor at the time who was helping his brother-in-law remove valuable possessions for himself and neighbors from their flooded homes in Lakeview. Had a reporter from a very large newspaper and his photographer ask if they could tag along. He said the two journalists just sat there and didn’t lift a finger. Apparently when the article came out it was about how the two were killing themselves in the heat helping and they all sat on the roof drinking wine and watching the sunset. Said he wanted to vomit while reading it.

Just curios how the Vince Marinello situation have to do with Katrina?

I was driving home from my girlfriend’s house (my now wife) one night around midnight when I came to an intersection near the interstate. Cops were everywhere. I figured there was a wreck. I slowed to a crawl, half blinded by the 20 cop car lights flashing in the middle of the night.

I got closer and noticed they had a car surrounded in the middle of the intersection and they all had rifles pointed at the car. Nobody stopped me or was even concerned with me being there. When I noticed what was going on I floored it and went behind the cops to get the hell out of there before they started shooting.

I fed the National Guard guys. They discussed body count openly while eating. True story

quote:

---

He's in a local cover band in New Orleans these...Lootie and the Blowfish

---

I thought it was Lootie and the Bleauxfish

quote:

---

So many wild stories come to mind, but what were the craziest/shadiest/scariest things some of you guys saw/heard of going on in the aftermath of Katrina?

---

grown men who believe that there were military snipers shooting looters from the superdome

quote:

---

grown men who believe that there were military snipers shooting looters from the superdome

---

The rumor mill about what was going on at the River Center in BR was pretty insane

You could hardly find a 9mm round in BR for 3 months

The most outlandish Baton Rouge rumor was gangs of people marching down highland road near I-10 and looting gas stations and breaking into Blue Bayou.

Four Days in memorial--great book about a terrible event.

I don’t have a story of devastation like so many, but here are a few memories I have from Katrina.

I was a freshman at LSU, from Cenla, and had moved into some apartments on campus mid August, right before Tigerband Preseason week began.

1) we had a week of school, then we went back home for Katrina. We left to head back to BR the morning after Katrina came through (Tuesday, I think), because at that point NOLA had been “spared” and we assumed classes would resume on Wednesday. As we got closer to BR, all of the radio stations we caught were people calling in saying to help them, water was coming up, that NOLA needed help. We started to worry. By the time we got to my apartment and turned on the working television, we were watching the news showing water coming up. It was about that time that my dad called my Motorola Flip and told me to get my $hit and get my arse home, along with my roommate and then boyfriend.

2) when class resumed the next week, my biology 1201 class in Cox had gone from ~500 to 1000 students.

3) my dad almost forced me to come back home to LSUA for the semester. Had it not been for my mom defending my ability to stay for Tigerband, he would’ve won that battle. In hindsight, I totally get why he was terrified for my safety. I was incredibly naive then and had no clue what was going on all around me, just minutes from my apartment at the PMAC, field house and all over BR.

4) there were families living with their sons/daughters in their dorm and/or apartments at LSU. In fact, there were a few on my floor at the Venue.

5) that first night game back in tiger stadium. I will NEVER forget it. My first game as a tiger band member, I was thrilled beyond anything. I remember it being HOT AS HELL, so humid that we were dripping sweat all the way to the end of the game late at night. It was an incredibly emotional game; my first time to be on that field and perform for pregame. It was LOUD. The only games I recall being louder were for UF, Auburn in 07 and Bama in 08. We went into halftime up 21-0. This was also Les’ first game. I was feeling positive until by 0:00 we had blown that lead and lost 22-21. I recall going back to my apartment and sobbing; not because of the loss—yes, that stung— but because what it represented. Louisiana needed that win..NEEDED it. My emotions from what I had seen and watched others endure overcame me and I lost it. And luckily for me, that was the worst pain I endured. So many lost everything.

6) playing for the saints game in tiger stadium. It was awkward and the fans were genuinely hostile towards us. We were volunteering our time and resources as an organization on a Sunday... and no thanks. I recall walking up the bleachers and the fans were incredibly disdainful, it was weird. I don’t remember too much about that game besides it being a very bad experience all around.

7) unfortunately I don’t remember where we were going (maybe the SECCG in Atlanta in dec?), but on one of our full band trips we were on 10, somewhere between Slidell and Ocean Springs, and I sat in awe for at least an hour at the devastation that was just visible from the interstate. There were areas where the trees were flattened for miles, refrigerators and parts of homes UP in trees, mattresses EVERYWHERE. I was so naive at that time, and didn’t watch the news too often, so to see those areas months later was shocking.

That’s all for this year.