Dear Friends,

My mother and I made it out alive (barely) 
after getting around 5 ft or more of water inside the house. We had weathered
the hurricane OK, with no water in the house. But when the Industrial Canal
levee broke, ALL of New Orleans East flooded. Everything is gone. Records, CD's
computer, turntables, etc. Sofas floating, refrigerator turned over on its own,
etc. I was so afraid that when we took to the safety of the attic that the
water would continue to rise but my mother's house was relatively high and the
water did not reach the ceiling or get into the attic. We spent a horrific
night in the attic and could not sleep because of the danger of falling into
the water below so I took 30 second cat naps. There was not enough room for me
or my mother to lie down so I had to sit at a 45-60 degree angle all night.
My back was nearly broken.

I heard helicopters around 4AM but there was no way for them to know we were
trapped in the attic so I just waited until I heard them again around 8AM... my
mother heard them but they disappeared as quickly as they came. At 10AM I heard
more and decided that our ONLY chance was for me to climb down to the floor (5
feet of toxic water) and get outside. So I proceeded to do so and was screaming
"help, help help!" Someone answered me and our neighbors 3 doors down
were on their roof, trying to attract the attention of the rescue helicopters.

It turns out that there was another family down the street waiting as well so
we had at least 8-9 people waiting to be rescued. I can't go into every detail
but let me just say that we weren't picked up until almost 8PM that night. I
was in the water all that time (yes, had my tetanus shot!) and my mother fell
into the water when she exited the attic and got it in her ears and eyes and
hit the doorknob with such force that it broke completely off and caused a HUGE
bruise on her leg. Had her leg been broken, I'm sure we'd both have perished.

We spent 6 unbelievable days of hell at the Convention Center. Everything you
guys saw on CNN (did you see ME?) was only the tip of the iceberg. We had no
food or water for 3 days. Thank GOD I brought some bottled water, rice cakes,
and a jar of peanut butter. My mother being a diabetic as well needed to be
cool (it was 95+degrees inside and STIFLING) and eat regularly.

We had so many promises of help and rescue that we quit believing them after 3
times. This just didn't happen until SUNDAY after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.
By the 6th night I was ready to assault a national guardsman so he would shoot
me and get this over... it was THAT bad. We'd lost ALL hope of being rescued
and just awaited our deaths by this time.

It wasn't until Geraldo Rivera came down himself and saw what was going on and
DEMANDED that something be done that things began to happen. When we finally
got out, my mother was in a wheelchair and I wasn't so we were separated at the
last minute when I got into a helicopter using the rear ramp and my mother was
supposed to enter in the front of the copter. It took off as soon as the last
person was seated (there was 1 more seat which was filled seconds after I sat
down and buckled up) and when I looked there were two black women and one black
man in the wheelchairs. My mother had not gotten on because there was no room.
So I waited NINE hours at Louis Armstrong airport for her to show up  but she
never did. There was no phone service and no one to really call... I asked about
triage and they let me tour the over 300 people there... I looked into the face
of EVERY one with white/grey hair and she just wasn't there. Finally at 9:30PM
I got into line to be processed. By 12:30AM they had stopped flights and I
collapsed from sheer exhaustion and frustration. I awoke on the sidewalk at
3AM with a rifle pointed in my face... a US National Guardsman was yelling,
"Get Up On Your Feet! NOW!!!" I was terrified, disoriented, didn't know what
the hell was going on. It was amazing that I didn't wet my pants. I guess that
if I weren't so dehydrated, I would have. At 4AM they opened the doors to the
airport from the outside and we were all lined up for processing AGAIN.

Apparently the 3+ hours I spent in line the night before was for nothing. I
must say that I was inside and in a line by 5:30-6AM and in a waiting area for
a plane by 7:30-8AM which was a great improvement over the previous night's
experience. I prayed that my mother would remember that the last destination
we had discussed was HOUSTON. As luck had it, the plane was headed for HOUSTON
so I only prayed that she would be there too and we could reunite. Two people
DIED in the group behind us so they rushed OUR GROUP into another waiting
area... we finally boarded a plane but were told while we were in the air that
they were taking us to PHOENIX ARIZONA! We were dumbfounded. NO ONE had even
considered that we would go west of Texas but we had no choice. As it turns
out, it was the best thing for this group and myself. When we arrived we had
all the food, water, port-a-lets, medical attention, etc. that we could have
wanted and I've not missed a hot meal since. Comfortable bedding (cots with
mattresses, sleeping bags, etc.) Warm shower facilities, toiletries, etc.
Everything we needed including new changes of underwear, shoes, clothing, etc.

The people of Phoenix really opened their hearts to us. We also have free long
distance calling but not internet (this is the first time I've been on in 2
weeks) and so I've contacted most of the family and friends. My mother
was "found" in HOUMA (yes, HOUMA) where she is being cared for in a
nurse's private home. She is being taken care of very well and refuses to leave
to join me out west. One "angel" in particular was drawn to me and appeared when
I needed help the most... took me to her own home for 3 nights. That made such
a difference! I was not in the shelter and had "quiet time" and computer access
and private room and shower and TV and so I got to watch what everyone else saw
on CNN and MSNBC and FOX News in addition to local (Phoenix) coverage and all I
can say is that BEING THERE IN PERSON I can tell you that what you see on TV is
only the tip of the iceberg. It was 10X worse than they show. There were
suicides, rapes (even of children as young as 4 years old), looting, near 
riots, abandoning the elderly and infirm in wheelchairs and
dead bodies floating in the water all over New Orleans East.

They are finding more and more remains of people who were trapped in their
attics or died waiting in vain for help. It was the most horrendous experience
in my life but to my knowledge all family and friends are alive... somewhere...
we're all "scattered" to the winds but thanks to the internet and long distance
phone lines can keep in touch, but the 504 local area code to N.O. is not
reliable, so much of the grid is down including cell phone towers. Verizon
seems to be the company with the best chance for "connectectivity" so those who
had cell phone service with that company were able to reach others. Just about
all other wireless companies were hit and miss. I still have not spoken with
my youngest brother David, but he knows I'm safe and has even visited my mom
in Houma. I had friends who hadn't heard from me in 8-9 days who feared the
worst but I had no way to contact them. No electricity, phone lines either dead
or you heard "All Circuits Are Busy" which meant that the lines were DOWN, not
overloaded. They continued to pray for us and didn't give up hope. Not everyone
I've written to has responded yet even after a week. I hope that only means
that they do not have internet access and not that they have perished. I'll keep
waiting for word from them and hope and pray for the best.

I had an offer of shelter from a girlfriend of mine for over 40 years and
am now residing in Riverside, California for the time being until further
notice. I made it here to California with the help of Mary Elizabeth, the
social worker I mentioned previously, who made SURE that I got a plane ticket
through PRIVATE donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society when the Red Cross
seemed to have to go through so much red tape that she got upset with them. She
is my guardian angel, for within 10 minutes after seeing me, a reservation was
made through them.

I am so thankful to be safe and in a family environment rather than the
shelter. Her church has adopted me so offers of clothing and other immediate
needs are being met. The best side of human nature is gleaming through the
darkness and giving me hope for the future.

I hope to return to New Orleans and see the Abe family sometime in the near
future.

Take care and God Bless You all.

Sincerely,
Mr. Emile Gardette

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Looking forward to the future... not the past!