Because I find strength in your posting, I will post my Katrina Vlogs.

I believe: No one forgets August 29, 2005. No one.

It is Hurricane Katrina that affected everyone - it was Katrina and Rita that affected those who are from New Orleans.

WoKamuka, Yes you are right! I was affected by both Katrina and Rita. I was in the path for both Hurricane. So it was difficult for me to post this but I feel I should. I hope you too! Please do come and share with me with your vlogs.. I would like to link you.. I want us all to reconnect together to heal!! ((HUGS))

I like the beginning of your vlog, neat opening.

I do hope things around Deaf community and events will come back to old times soon in LA.

You did great doing this video, very orienting and clear in signing too. Especially with subtitling too.

Looking forward to your next Katrina vlog.

Fairlady,

Wow, it is a great, great privilege to get to know you more and more after we met at Yahoo Live! Deaf Chat room, and I found out that you lived in Louisiana. I asked about Hurricane Katrina, and you responded back with grace and patience (after you have been sharing the stories so many times). It blew me away learning about how much Hurricane Katrina had SIGNIFICANTLY affected the Deaf Community, especially before Katrina and the aftermath.

I was so humbled by hearing your story and I encouraged you to create vlogs about this.

Now you did, and you have my utmost respect for what you did. Your vlogs will definitely help all of us to truly understand how the natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, and flooding) affected the deaf community, deaf individuals and their families.

I realized that your posting of this vlog came with a PERFECT timing when many, many Deaf people from all over the United States are coming to New Orleans for National Association of the Deaf Conference in coming Monday, July 7 through Friday, July 11, 2008. Almost three years after Hurricane Katrina and Rita hit Louisiana.

Your work with vlogs will help the Deaf participants to gain more insight and understanding about Hurricane Katrina, and being more sensitive when asking around, "Were you there when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans?"

National Association of the Deaf was supposed to host the conference two years ago in New Orleans, but most hotels were not ready to accommodate the conference events, thus causing the NAD conference planners to change the location last minute to Palm Springs, California. A fancy resort place.

Now, it is time to HONOR and MY HAT TIPS OFF TO to the Deaf New Orleaneans/Louisianans to get their chance to SHINE by hosting this conference at the heart of New Orleans (French Quarter). The Deaf Community of New Orleans are thriving and surviving! KUDOS TO YOU!

You are a very, very strong person, and a very special vlogger. You have my utmost respect.

I will definitely come back and watch more of your Katrina stories and more especially, will watch other deaf people's stories that you have inspired them.

Wokamuka, I'll be very interested to watch your vlogs too!

My big hugs to you, Fairlady!

Warmly,
Amy Cohen Efron

Hi Fair.

I found myself drawn into your vlog and story about how the hurricane impacted the tight knit Deaf community. It's sad. I'm hoping things are improving socially. It was such a huge loss for all.

I'm glad I found you on Live Chat and am so glad to call you my friend.

Looking forward to your next parts in your story.

Great intro at the beginning. very creative movie software you have!

~ LaRonda

I too look forward to hearing and learning about your experiences through Katrina; I have spoken to you on numerous occasions and I never realized you were from La and was involved with Hurricane Katrina.
My thoughts and support are with you during this difficult time; I Hope by sharing things will come together for you and your family
Human

Wow! you did great story about your bad expereinced before& after the Hurricane Katrina's situation were mess up.

Of course I can see why people from Louisana. They already suffered so much. I did watched the tv program about people had to clean up their house and pretty many people died in their house. They had to call morgue, some kind of situation. I watched .. Of course it already impacted on you so much!

Between Hearing and Deaf people had to something to their lives changed.
I was worry about my friend who is deaf .. WE grew up in Roseburg. I keep wonder how he is now.. our friend, Mike Mustard moved to Mississipi from their old house from their house were damaged loss.

Thanks Fairlady for sharing about Hurricane Katrina. It still very slow repair and rebuilt in few years later from August 29, 2005..
Your vlog made me grossbumped me alot!
I agree with Amy's comments:
Now, it is time to HONOR and MY HAT TIPS OFF TO to the Deaf New Orleaneans/Louisianans to get their chance to SHINE by hosting this conference at the heart of New Orleans (French Quarter). The Deaf Community of New Orleans are thriving and surviving! KUDOS TO YOU!

Deaf Pixie aka Margaret Adamski

Thank you, Fair Lady. I hung this post onto today's Ladder.
If you have an email alert thingy then please link us to it, but I also hung you on our 2nd Line.

Thanks again,
Editilla~New Orleans News Ladder

Hello again, Y'all.
I know that you folks already probably know these folks:
http://www.deafyouthusa.org/vlogs/
We posted their NOLA trip a while back.
Why don't y'all come have a big Halloween Party in Louisiana. Or y'all could come to New Orleans for All Saints Day.
Anyway, let us know at da'Ladda. We are clocking around 150 hits/day all across the country and growing, so that might provide a venue.
I will help focalize such an event as best I could.

It is as Fair Lady say: We all have to stitch the Net back together, only stronger this time and with many many more different kinds of threads...I call what I do with da'Ladda: "Stitch'hiking" the Net.

Thank yu again,
Editilla

Hello,
like others, I thank you for sharing your experiences and observations about how the Deaf community in New Orleans/Louisiana areas has been affected by this horrible catastrophe.
You are right, social life is next important thing in a Deaf person's life next to the basic needs like shelter, food, clothes, family.
I truly hope that the Louisiana Deaf community will soon gather once again after your coming out thru your vlog. Hopefully, the NAD conference coming up very soon will help give some kind of boost to that.
Please continue to share personal stories so the others of us will continue to be reminded.

Like I said before although neither storms affected me personally, you just can't but feel sad for all the victims. I remember all the relief concerts and stuff, and people just doing what they can to help.

Anyway I admire your courage to blog/vlog about your experience during that difficult time.

Hi Fairlady,

Oh, I can feel the pain of deaf Louisianans without the social life.

I hope that the NAD Convention held in New Orleans commencing next Monday, July 7th will hear about your story and invite you to give a talk to the convention attendées. That, I hope, WOULD help deaf Louisianans resume the social life they once had. If you ahve not been asked to invite, ne aggressive by asking them via email to the NAD president and executive director (http://wwww/nad.org).

Or you just walk in and ask for them and explain why it is very important to talk to the deaf people at the convention and thank
them and leave.

Keep us posted.

Cheers

I'm touched. I'm really looking forward to you rebuilding along with the others this deaf community in New Orleans - a very special place that I hope to one day visit.

Apologises - it wasn't meant to be posted anonymously! It's Ben from UK.

Best wishes

I've been interested in hearing the Katrina stories among the deaf communities and learning about your and others experiences through Katrina so I can help the others in the future.
After moving to Dallas on Oct 2005, (we were on the way from North Idaho during the Rita) my husband and I met three deaf people who went through Katrina and we respected their quietness about their experiences. They felt lost without any deaf community so they came to Dallas. Two of them moved back to New Orlean afterward and one remains in Dallas.
Keep vlogging.

Hi, Fairlady!!

I found your vlog, Signing World, and your message through Amy's vlog about NAD at New Orleans. I am glad I hear your story. I am glad that you are okay and survived through Hurricane Katrina & Rita. I am humbled to be your friend, smile.

Anyway, even though I did not live in New Orleans, I was affected how our USA had failed to protect his people. I am sure that this situation will not be repeated in the future.

So glad I met you through Deafchat only once. I ought visit more, smile. Busy me.. ;D

deafk

yay, you did it! I wonder about research on the deaf community in New Orleans. How they splattered out and rebuild. Is it the same for the hearing? Are they losing friends as well? It would be an excellent way to study social behaviors after a disaster.

FairLady!

WOW!! I love your story and I really want to thank you for sharing your experience with us. My relatives who live in Louisiana have same feelings. My cousin lost EVERYTHING in New Orleans but he decides to stay there to rebuild EVERYTHING.

I hope that Deaf community will have close-knit again.

Hugs,
KoalaKona

I was residence of New Orleans for 7 years. I hate so much of this city and want to transfer to Florida but my job was not available opening that time before Katrina. Well, after Katrina hit. My job finally transfered to Florida under company's policy that mandate to provide employment for Katrina survivor. My dream came true and thank to Katrina for my life change and got out of New Orleans for good. Why?
I am sick of New Orleans foods, lack of deaf community, high crime, less pay and too many SSD on deaf people and there are lack of provide support for deaf people. I am so lucky that I had the job in New Orleans then transferred to Florida thank to Katrina again.
Mark Cairns