Life after Katrina: A Fresh Start in Starkville
Nineteen years ago, a Mississippi resident named Paul Picard was in British Columbia for work. Unbeknownst to him, a storm was forming near his home in Liberty, Mississippi, a humble town situated near Baton Rouge. The storm, later known as Hurricane Katrina, would drastically change his life and the lives of thousands of others.
The Unforeseen Calamity
In the early stages of development, Katrina didn’t seem to pose as much of a threat. “I got up on the Saturday before Katrina, and CNN was on. I saw this massive white cloud in the Gulf and saw the track moving to the West. I realized that this hurricane was going to be coming right up where we were,” Paul recalled. This prompted a frantic scramble home to his wife and three children. Despite travel complications including a plane malfunction in Canada, Paul managed to make it back to Baton Rouge just as the city was preparing to brace for Katrina.
The Aftermath of Katrina
As Paul recollects, the sunny day preceding the hurricane gave no indication of the forthcoming disaster. When the storm rolled through, it completely transformed the picturesque town. Power was knocked out, trees were brought down, and human resilience was tested. “Nobody was coming to rescue you. You had to do it yourself,” Paul says, describing the desperation after the storm.
Busloads of people were arriving in Liberty seeking refuge, and there were limited supplies and resources. Amid the chaos, Paul witnessed a powerful bond of community spirit as strangers, irrespective of their backgrounds, worked towards common recovery.
Moving to Starkville
The aftermath of the storm indirectly led Paul to Starkville, where he has resided ever since. His original business had been dramatically affected, and he made the decision to start afresh in Starkville. “Even though we weren’t really directly up here as refugees, the business I was in, I made baby fish and then sold them to people who would grow them out, and their farms were ruined,” Paul narrated. As a result, Paul had to pick up a new life, and found solace in the welcoming community of the Golden Triangle.
A New Life in Starkville
Here in Starkville, Paul and his family had the chance to start anew. Not just in terms of a new home, but a completely different career path. Commenting on the warmth and welcomeness of the local community in the Golden Triangle, Paul says, “This really has become home for us.”
Recalling post-Katrina memories, he highlighted the power of community support as people shared resources like generators and food, making sure everyone was taken care of. Stories like these remind us of the unwavering human spirit that emerges in times of hardship.
