When Laura called me yesterday morning, it wasn't just to talk about our latest project but to let me know that they were officially evacuating her Gulfport. Unlike many of the families that were leaving, Laura's family wasn't there through Katrina. In fact, they arrived well after the area had started to revitalize. Although there was still remnants of the storm around them (like the tub in the front yard across the street) for the most part life had returned to normal.....that is until Friday.

As the storm approached, we've chatted about it and joked about her evacuating with the kids, photos, husband and of course her computer and heading north to my house. But until yesterday morning, it was just that - talk. So when she called me Saturday morning, I knew they had made the decision to leave. While we tried to wrap up as much of the project we were working as possible, Laura and her husband packed up photos, documents, birth certificates, clothes to last several months, food, water, toys, special mementos and valuables that would leave with them and all of it would have to fit in two cars. And although we chuckled about her friend's recommendation to put an axe in the attic with food (just in case) we knew that this was no joking matter.

Today they left early with a caravan off other families, mostly military since they are in the Navy. Many of these families have deployed husbands or service members that were required to stay behind to help with the aftermath of the storm.  Although each is hopeful that this will only be a few days of hanging out at a hotel and riding out the storm they will spend that entire time wondering what will be left when they returned.

As we were talking, I could hear her husband in the background shuffling about as he packed everything in plastic and moved it to higher ground. (During Katrina, their house had 7 feet of standing water.) I had to wonder what I would do in their situation. Would I be able to leave my house and memories behind knowing that none of it may not be their when I returned? And what if I wasn't allowed to go back, then what?

In many ways, Laura's situation is déjà vu for me. Three years ago, my good friend Dawn found herself in the mist of Hurricane Katrina. Her husband was in the Coast Guard and they were stationed right along the coastline. He stayed behind while she was forced to evacuate. This was not the first time they had been through this drill, but it was the only time that she taken all of her photos, scrapbooks and important documents. Within twenty four hours, that was all she had left. Although she and her husband were reunited several weeks after the storm, they lost everything the owned except for the things she had taken with her and the clothes on their backs.

I am hopeful this time that we have learned greatly from Katrina and have not taken Mother Nature's wrath for granted. Because of stories from Katrina, people are able to better prepare themselves and evacuate early. As Gustav approaches the coast, keep these families in your thoughts as they face another potentially devastating storm and pray for their safe return.