Today marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a devastating storm that led many New Orleans residents to evacuate.
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Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, with winds reaching 175 miles per hour, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.
In the aftermath, over 100,000 people affected by the hurricane evacuated to Georgia, with many settling in the Atlanta area.
“It was a horrible and tragic time,” Jovaughn Recasner, a former New Orleans firefighter, told Channel 2’s Audrey Washington.
Recasner evacuated to Atlanta with his wife Chanel before the storm made landfall.
Jovaughn Recasner was on injury leave during the hurricane and could only watch the destruction from afar.
“It was a horrible and tragic time,” he recalled.
The couple fled from the Algiers area of New Orleans, leaving behind their home and way of life.
“Not only are your material things gone, but your way of life,” he said.
Chanel Recasner shared the emotional toll of the evacuation.
“Seeing everything unfold and knowing that our family was still there,” she said.
In Atlanta, they received support from organizations like Hosea Helps.
Elisabeth Omilami of Hosea Helps remembered the dire need at the time.
“We served them for 6 months. They only had what they were wearing,” she said.
Chanel Recasner addressed misconceptions about the survivors.
“There were a lot of things about people looting and that they were dangerous, it was just that people were trying to survive,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Jovaughn acknowledged the resilience of those who endured the storm, saying, “There’s something to be said for the folks who made it and came out on the other side of it.”
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