I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 Quotes

“In the weeks after the flood, the Humane Society of the United States organized the biggest animal rescue in history. Hundreds of volunteers from all over the country came to New Orleans. They broke into boarded-up houses, plucked dogs and cats from rooftops and trees, and even rescued pigs and goats. Many animals were reunited with their owners. Others were sent to shelters across America to be adopted by new families.”
― Lauren Tarshis, I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005

“hawk wings, titanium armor, and eyes that could see through walls. Jay rose to his feet. “That’s amazing,” he said in a shocked whisper. “The wings look real. And that fire …” He pointed to the flames coming out of Akivo’s silver boots. Barry had worked for three hours on those flames, mixing orange and red and yellow with a bit of blue until they looked like they would burn your fingers if you touched them. They both stood there for a minute, staring at the drawing. Then Jay started jumping up and down. “We’re going to win the contest!” Jay yelled. “We’re going to win the contest!” Barry started jumping too. He knew that hundreds of people were entering,”
― Lauren Tarshis, I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005

“440,000 residents were scattered all around the country. But New Orleans did survive. And years later, it continues to recover — building by building, house by house, tree by tree, road by road, family by family. Seventy-five percent of residents have returned. To many visitors, the city seems as vibrant as it always was, with unforgettable music and food, beautiful buildings and gardens, and streets that bustle with energy unlike any other city in America. But in some of the poorest and hardest-hit neighborhoods, recovery has been painfully slow. If Barry were to come back to the Lower Ninth Ward today, he would see few of his neighbors smiling down from their porches. Much of the Lower Nine is still abandoned. Only 19 percent of that neighborhood’s residents have returned.”
― Lauren Tarshis, I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005

“a powerful hurricane. In August 2005, their worst predictions came true. Katrina’s 125-mile-per-hour winds sent a gigantic wave of water from the Gulf of Mexico into the canals and lakes surrounding New Orleans. All of that water pushed up against the levees, and many of them failed, some crumbling like the walls of sandcastles. Billions of gallons of water gushed into New Orleans. Nearly 1,000 people drowned in the first hours of the flooding.”
― Lauren Tarshis, I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005