Powerful Katrina Exhibit

Touring the Presbytere was an amazing experience. Within the Presbytere was an exhibit about Katrina and the devastation that it caused New Orleans. Going through this exhibit was extremely emotional. As I walked into the first room I heard pounding thunder, a cool breeze, and flashing lights that resembled lightning. As I walked farther into the room I realized that I was entering a room full of screens showing videos that were recorded during the hurricane. I was standing in a room indoors and the lighting, air blowing, and sounds made the videos feel so realistic. As I walked into the next room I heard someone telling a story. I realized that this was a video being played filming a civilian telling his story of a rescue he had made. Then there were several other civilians who told their stories. The way that they explained the rescues they made were extremely touching. The excitement, and sadness in their voices were overwhelming. As I continued to walk through this dim room I entered a corner with large pieces of peeled paint that had been written on.

The writing appeared as a journal with dates and a summary of the day. The preserved paint was peeled from the wall of an abandoned apartment complex that a man was staying in. The paint had ridged edges but was peeled and preserved perfectly so that the writing could be read. Seeing the journaling a man did during the days of Katrina was enlightening. The writing on the walls expressed the desperateness that so many people of New Orleans experienced. As I walked into another room I approached a detached garage door. The door had bright red and black spray paint covering the face of it. The garage door had writing on it that showed the way that first responders, or groups of rescuers would mark homes to signify that rescues had been made or bodies needed to be picked up. The writing was in shorthand and you can tell that it was written quickly. Seeing this exhibit has helped with better understanding the horrific lengths that those who were living through Hurricane Katrina had to go through.