Patti and I watched the television for several days with updates on the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  We watched as people cried out for help for days with seemingly no relief on its way for them.  If no one was getting relief supplies to New Orleans, we would do what we could to help them out. 

Patti and I had already made plans to take a trip to New York City the week of 9/6 through 9/11/05, but we didn't feel good about taking a vacation while so many people in on the Gulf Coast were hurting.  At first we thought we would donate the hotel money from New York to disaster victims; however, it became apparent that supplies were not getting to New Orleans.  While at work Friday evening 9/2/05, I started on a plan to acquire supplies and deliver them to New Orleans.  I asked Patti what she thought of the plan, and she was excited.  Apparently, she wanted to do the same thing.  We decided to enact our plans.

Thursday 9/1/05:

• Cancelled our reservations to our New York loft to donate the hotel money to Red Cross

Friday 9/2/05:

• Changed plans and decided to get supplies and drive them to New Orleans.

Saturday 9/3/05:

• We heard that all volunteers should register with Red Cross.  Patti called the local Cleveland chapter of Red Cross and asked them how we can register.  The woman who answered the phone told us the office was closed due to the holiday.  Patti said that we wanted to volunteer in New Orleans this weekend, and we wanted to register.  The woman asked, "Where's the fire?"  Patti was shocked.  Patti said, "The fire is burning in New Orleans!"  The woman repeated the fact that no one was available to help us until the holiday was over; again she asked what our hurry was to volunteer.
• After getting no where with the local Red Cross, I registered us on line as Red Cross volunteers, but there was absolutely no information on how or where to volunteer in the Gulf Coast.  The only instructions were to contact your local chapter.  I emailed the general email address and told the Red Cross that we were renting a car and bringing supplies to the Gulf Coast with us.  Both Patti and I were registered as volunteers.  The Red Cross' web site sent an automated reply.  To this day, the Red Cross has not acknowledged our email.
• I rented a car that would both hold a lot of supplies and have great gas mileage to ride out the reported gasoline shortages we heard about on TV.
• Patti got our belongings together and got us ready to leave.
• I drove to Costco in Mayfield Heights and loaded up the car with supplies.  I was encouraged talking with other folks to learn that they were buying items to send to the disaster victims.   Here is a list of items we purchased and delivered to New Orleans:

12 cases .5l water bottles	6 cans (1 lb.) of baby formula	6 large bottles of peroxide
8 jars of peanut butter and jelly	1 case disposable diapers and baby wipes	2 First Aid kits and 4 blister packs of assorted bandages
12 loaves of bread	1 case bathroom tissue	6 large bottles of rubbing alcohol
1 package of beef jerky	1 box feminine hygiene products	1 case plastic cutlery
300 plastic cups	200 foam plates

• I drove to Dick's Sporting Goods in Legacy Village to get a couple of ceramic water filters, insect repellant, disinfectant wipes, water bottles and flashlights
• I also stopped at the bank for some cash in case the ATM's were out of service.  It was a smart move.  Most of the restaurants we stopped at from Missouri to Louisiana and back up to Tennessee only accept cash.  Most places south of Jackson, Mississippi couldn't take credit or debit cards due to Katrina.
• We also went to Home Depot for work gloves, latex gloves, and extra flashlight batteries.
• At 6:30 pm, we got on the road.  With the heavy load in the car, I decided to take an easy route with little variation in terrain.  We took Rt. 71 South West to Rt. 70 West.  This would take us to Route 55 South all the way to Rt. 10 in New Orleans.

Sunday 9/4/05:

• At 2:30 am 9/4/05, we pulled off the road to get some sleep at a Relax Inn, just inside the Eastern Illinois border.
• We awoke at 10:50am to a call from the front desk, reminding us of the check-out time.  We got on the road an looked for a small diner for lunch. 
• Around 2:00 pm we saw a sign for Blue Spring Cafe', featuring their "Foot High Pie" in Highland, IL.  It was a great, family-style restaurant.  We had the chicken fried steak, and it was amazing.  The chocolate cream pie lived up to its claims, and it was delicious.
• Around 3:30 pm, we arrived in St. Louis, MO.  The skyline was amazing, and Patti tried taking a few pictures as we drove through on the freeway.
• Around 7:00 pm, we stopped for gas in Arkansas.  We looked for a few more supplies at Wal-Mart and we stopped for dinner at Wendy's.
• We pushed on to Jackson, MS. All through Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi, we saw lots of military convoys heading South to New Orleans.  Patti took a few pictures of the convoys as we passed them on the freeway.  We felt a little relieved, knowing that so many US troops would be there when we enter New Orleans.  All of the stories of violence were unsettling, and we felt better that the military would have a strong presence there.
• Around 10:00 pm, we couldn't resist a quick rest stop at Graceland in Memphis, TN.  Everything was closed up and dark, but it felt good to get out of the car for a bit.

Monday 9/5/05:

• At 12:00 am we stopped at Conoco 20 miles before Jackson, MS to top off the tank and take a short rest. 
• Around 1:00am, we stopped at Love's truck stop, just before Jackson, MS.  The gas pumps had yellow tape around them that said, "POLICE LINE - DO NOT CROSS".  We went inside and learned that this station had no gas.  We were just under the full mark, and our Toyota Camry was getting 450+ miles per tank. 
  • We spoke with a man who had just come from New Orleans.  He was hauling a 32' flat bed trailer that was used to haul supplies.  He said that there are no more gas stations open between here and New Orleans.  His truck was diesel, so he had no problems.  He told us that they were starting to turn people away at Route 10.  He got into New Orleans because of the amount of supplies he brought.  He said that as soon as he passed the check point, there was an armed escort in front and behind him.  When he unloaded his supplies, there were two armed officers with guns drawn to protect them during the drop off.  They were each carrying a rifle, shotgun and at least one pistol.  They escorted him back to Route 10 check point, and he was going home to make another trip.  He cautioned us that it is very dangerous, and there are many people desperate to get out of New Orleans.  Even as far north as Jackson there is a 12:00 am curfew to curb any violence; people may try to take our car to get out.  He recommended sleeping in the car in a well lit area.  He hadn't slept the night before - he wished us well and went on his way.
  • It looked like we were not going to be able to make it to New Orleans and back on the amount of fuel in our tank.  We looked for a hotel, but they were all booked; it looked like we would have to sleep in the car.  We parked in a Sonic that was well-lit and open for 24 hours.  Even during a gasoline shortage at 1:30 am, there was a never-ending stream of expensive, gas-guzzling cars that kept cruising the parking lot.  The police cars were pulling people over every few minutes on the main road.  We felt safer back at the Love's parking lot, so we moved there to try to sleep.
  • After returning to Love's, I saw six or eight white school buses and a box truck with red crosses on them enter the diesel pump area.  Patti and I went to see if they were going to New Orleans - maybe they could take our supplies with them.  When we talked to them, they told a bitter tale.  They were from a church in Indianapolis, and they contacted the Red Cross to evacuate 300 refugees.  When they got to the Rt. 10 check point, the police forbade them entry.  They stayed 72 hours arguing their case, but they were turned away with only 10 evacuees.  All of the buses returned empty, and the box truck still had supplies in it for people who were in dire need of them in New Orleans.
  • We spoke to a police officer who told us all gas stations were roped off from 12:00 midnight to 6:30 am to limit the amount of gasoline that was sold.  This encouraged us - we could at least drive until we were at 1/2 tank of fuel and look for gas.  If we didn't find any, we would return to Jackson and donate our supplies to a shelter there.  Talking to others in the parking lot, we learned that Jackson had several active shelters.
  • We tried sleeping in the car for about an hour, but we couldn't sleep. We decided to press on until the tank was 1/2 empty and decide what to do.  We were lucky to have stopped here.  There were no signs on the freeway warning people that there was no gas beyond this point.  I'm sure many people who drove deep into Mississippi were stranded by not knowing where the gas shortage started.  We spent hours listening to the radio to get information, but there was nothing to help us.  It appeared that any info. we got would be through the rumor mill, and that would have to be good enough.
• We decided that we came this far, and we would try to get to New Orleans.  With no sleep that night and serious doubts about the success of our trip, we pressed on around 4:00 am.  If I could top off the tank at this point, we would have plenty of gas to get to New Orleans and back out of Mississippi.  We also feared that the shortage would creep farther North, increasing the risk of our getting stranded.
• We took every exit that had a sign for gas.  All of the stations were either closed, or had just sold the last of their gas a few hours ago.  Apparently, the ban on sales was not enforced too strictly. The closer we got to Louisiana, the more downed trees we saw in the dark.  At this time of morning, there were no visible lights from towns, streets, etc.  It was a little eerie.
• Talking to some folks, we heard that there was gas in a small town 20 or 30 miles from where we were in McComb.  We pressed on.  When we arrived, there were already lines at all of the gas stations.   I could see lots of cars driving to the stores, going through the Burger King drive-though, etc.  We figured this was a town that has gas, because everyone was acting like there was no shortage.
  • I got out to ask one of the men in line for gas if the station had any gas this morning.  The man said that this station has opened everyday since the hurricane, and he had no reason to believe they wouldn't open today.  He pointed at the pumps and said that there would be bags on the pumps if they didn't have gas.  I pointed to the pumps and showed him the bags on the pumps.  I asked him when the station would open this morning, and I got the impression that gas stations opens when ever somebody gets there to open it.  I went to the station, and there was not sign on the door, and no posted hours. We asked if he knew anywhere that had gas, and he said Louisiana might have some.  We left for another gas station.
  • We went to another station that had only one car in line and no bags on the pumps.  I asked an elderly man if he knew when the station opened.  He said, "I heard last night it might be 10:00 am or it might be 3:00 pm". It was 6:30 am, and he was content to wait until the station opened.  I asked him if this station had gas. He replied, "I heard they might."  We left for another city.
• The local police we talked to back at Love's were wrong.  They said that this was only a curfew, and it turns out that every gas station had sold all of their gas.
• After we crossed the Louisiana state line, we lost our cell phone signal. It did not return until we were a few miles back into Mississippi, heading North.
• We got two exits into Louisiana, and we were almost at half tank.  Patti and I felt that we came all this way, and something should go our way.  I think we were both saying a small prayer inside.  We took the next exit and pulled into a gas station.  We asked a person on the street if he knew where there was any gas, and he pointed to another gas station across the street.  We got in line at 7:30, and the station opened at 8:00 am.  They were rationing gas, and the limit was $40 per person - cash only.  We got gas, and we were on our way to New Orleans.
• Around 9:00 am all non-emergency vehicles were diverted off Rt. 55 onto the "Lower Road" that runs parallel to Rt. 55.  After sitting in traffic jams for hours with residents trying to return to New Orleans, we finally made it to Rt. 10.  There were several military and police personnel along with vehicles parked a lot that has a gas station, Huddles restaurant, Casino, convenience store and truck stop.  The road to New Orleans was road blocked with armed officers who waved us past the entrance.  We circled back, and he waved us off again.  We pulled into the gas station to talk to the State Troopers. 
  • We were told that only military or emergency vehicles had clearance to enter.  One of the local police interjected, "You look like nice folk.  There are an awful lot of bad things to see in New Orleans.  Dead bodies floating around and lots of desperate people.  That's not a place for you."  I told him we drove 1,300 miles with supplies for people that need them.  Can you at least give me a drop off location to which I can deliver these supplies?  It turns out that no one knows where any drop off locations are. 
  • They wrote down some directions and suggested that we ask the Sheriff.  The Sheriff's Dept. won't accept the donation, but they might know where we can take them.  That seemed like the only alternative we had, so we went.  It turns out the directions were wrong.  Most of the street signs were gone, and some of the landmarks he gave us were gone too.  We saw three Sheriff Deputies directing traffic on Rt. 10 West of New Orleans.  They said that most of the Law Enforcement here are from out of town to help, and haven't been giving good directions.  They directed us to St. John the Baptist Parish Hall, just three blocks away.
• At 11:00 am, we pulled into St. John the Baptist Parish Hall.  There were tables set up for disaster relief volunteers.  We met two wonderful people there who helped us unload the car.  It looked like we were the first people to drop off any provisions.  They expressed sincere gratitude and hugged us. 
  • They said that they had connections with Red Cross, but FEMA took over, and those connections were severed.  They couldn't get the provisions to New Orleans, but they had a lot of people who walked out of New Orleans on their own, and the supplies would go toward helping them.
  • I heard a story of a man who gave swamp tours.  He offered his boats to help pick up survivors, but FEMA turned him down. He was able to get past the FEMA forces and put his boats in the water, picking up several survivors on his own.  To our knowledge, he was out that day helping people.
  • We also heard that Red Cross has water brought in the FEMA confiscated for their own purposes. FEMA told the Red Cross that they can have the next water supply.
  • We said our good-bye's and decided on our next course of action.
• At 1:00 pm with no sleep from the previous night, we felt a great relief knowing that we accomplished what we set out to do.  We would rather have made it all the way to New Orleans, but with safety and disease being issues, it is probably better it worked out this way. 
• We stopped at a restaurant for lunch.  Everything was closed for Labor Day, so choices were limited.  We stopped at a place on Rt. 10. They were just reopening after the hurricane, and they were out of almost everything.  The gumbo was excellent, but the rest of the meal told the tale of just how bad everything was in that area.  We found out that most restaurants were still rebuilding, and the nearest ones that were operating were 20 miles to the north.
• We had to make our next decision about where we can volunteer our time for the rest of the week.  The local authorities didn't have any ideas.  We considered going to Biloxi, MS. There wouldn't be any blockades, and there were probably some opportunities for us there.  The big concern was fuel.  Even though there seemed to be plenty of gas here on Rt. 10, it was probably kept supplied for all of the military vehicles.  If we ventured on to Biloxi, would there be any gas stations?  We accomplished our mission and had already taken risks to get this far.  How long would our luck hold out?  There was no information available to anyone who came here to help, and we were on our own to find places to volunteer.  We decided it was best to play it safe and head North again. 
• We went back up Rt. 55 to Jackson.  We had a hard time finding a hotel room, so we went a few exits East on Rt. 20 and stayed at the Comfort Inn by the airport.  After a short meal at Ryan's Buffet, we returned to the hotel for some much-needed rest.

Tuesday Sept. 6th:

• We decided to return to Cleveland by taking Rt. 20 East and go to Cleveland via. Chattanooga, TN, Charleston, WV then Rt. 77 North all the way to Cleveland, OH.
• We had a great breakfast at the Waffle House and topped off the tank at a nearby gas station.  We got on Rt. 20 and headed East.
• We saw a large number of trees blown over along Rt. 20, and one military convoy heading West toward New Orleans.  We supposed that most of the convoys were taking Rt. 55 South.
• We made a few restroom stops in MS, AL and GA. I tried to top off the tank during these stops, and there was no gas available until we got to Chattanooga, TN. 
• After getting gas at 6:15 pm, we ate at the Circle-C BBQ restaurant.  It was some of the best BBQ we ever had!  The drive through Chattanooga was scenic, and it was a nice drive back.
• The car was much lighter without the load, and we got better gas mileage.  We noticed that in New Orleans, the gas prices were $2.49/gal.  The farther we got from New Orleans, the higher the prices got.  We ended up with $2.99/gal in Cleveland, but we saw prices as high as $3.35 in Kentucky
• We missed our interchange looking for Rt. 40 to Rt. 81 in TN, so we changed course. We pushed on driving all the way to Lexington, KY.

Wednesday Sept. 7th:

• Around 1:00 am, we pulled into at a Days INN a few exits North of Lexington.
• At 11:00 am, we ate at a Waffle House and then got back on the road.
• Around 1:00pm, we crossed into Ohio and went through Cincinnati
• We arrived back in Cleveland at 4:15PM.

What did I learn from this experience?

• Don't hesitate to help when people need it.  Know your self and your resources.  Give what you can and act quickly!  If everyone pitches in a little bit, we can move mountains together.
• A disaster can happen anywhere.  Understand the risks in your area and be prepared with two to four weeks of supplies.  Depending on others to help you in times of great need puts you at the mercy of available help.  Local, state and federal resources may provide an ultimate solution, but they may not be there to provide immediate relief. 
• Our information network is woefully lacking on how to behave during a disaster, where to get help and where to give help in the event of an emergency:
  • We watched television and listened to the radio.  These media were more interested in covering the event rather than providing a single source of information for others to follow.
  • Law enforcement, civil government and the military were all confused about where to send people who need help, what to do with people coming to volunteer and how to find collection points for people to drop off supplies and where to get supplies when you need them.
  • No one communicated exactly where the gas shortages were on the major roads into and out of the disaster area.  We witnessed countless vehicles searching for gas. Many of these motorists could have become stranded in the disaster area, increasing the problems.
  • We relied heavily on hear-say information to make decisions.  I work in a factory with lots of people, and I understand how the rumor-mill operates. Many rumors have an element of truth to them. We acted on rumors, but we were prepared with a Plan B and Plan C to adapt to situations when the local information wasn't 100% accurate.
• A disaster such as this brings out the best in people, and it brings out the worst.  We were there to help, but we had to be vigilant that desperate people didn't take advantage of the resources we brought with us.
• Understand your abilities and your limits. You could have all of the good intentions, but reckless decisions can have bad consequences.  We took risks, but we understood that this isn't our home territory, and we had severe disadvantages if something went wrong.
• Don't rely 100% on the latest technology in a disaster.  Cell phones, land lines, Internet and credit/debit cards didn't work in this area.  We brought waterproof, 5 mile, two-way hand radios with a week's worth of batteries in case we were separated.  We planned on sleeping in the car and/or tent in shifts if needed.  We had waterproof boots, rain gear, insect repellant, work gloves, nitrile gloves, first aid kits, ceramic water filters, a cook stove with a week's worth of fuel to boil water and food that does not need refrigeration in case of an extended stay.
• I knew that my car was not the right one for the trip.  I made the right call by getting a Toyota Camry that would hold a lot of cargo and get incredible gas mileage.  We soon learned, however, that a diesel engine would have been a superior choice.  When gas runs out, there was always diesel available for commercial and military vehicles.

I'm hoping to inspire others to help. Helping out in this way was the right move for us.

This was our way of giving, and I hope you can find your way.