Quvandra Ballard

City Pages - New Orleans: Survivor Stories:

Before the storm came, we were trying to see if we should leave or not. There wasn't a mandatory evacuation at first. When we saw it looking really bad, we decided to leave. We just grabbed what we could. All we were able to grab was what was hanging around, some jeans and a shirt, stuff like that. We grabbed some covers and pillows, to ride in the car and just in case we need it in shelters. We actually thought that we would be able to come back home like we do for every other storm. But this was category five; this was a different story. They kept predicting it every year, but it never happened.

My mom was in Hurricane Betsy. She was on top of her house. I was like, really? I just couldn't see that. But now I really see it.

So now we're in Minnesota. I come here to visit once in every blue moon. Last December I was here for four days. And now I'm here to make it my home.

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