Interesting Katrina story - now here's mine... A friend of mine (a federal law enforcement officer with badge) had to evacuate the North Shore with her parents/dog as the hurricane approached leaving several items that needed to be recovered before someone else got to them. Her dad called me and said he was just too old to go with her and would I go back in with her. I had a pickup truck hauling a covered Uhaul trailer with two 55 Gallon drums of Gas - enough to get in and out, water and food. This was 4 days after the hurricane and people were still shooting each other in gas lines in MS. Between the two of us we had enough loaded weapons within reach to finish any war anyone else started. We figured her badge and my military ID might be enough to talk us out of getting arrested. We got in and back out in two days. Was the surrealist thing I've ever seen or done.
The one night we stayed in her house (tore up but not flooded and we had a generator) was 'interesting'. We were both sleeping downstairs on couches; windows up but doors unlocked. Loaded weapons within reach. About 2 AM, she shrieks "They're coming in, they're coming in!" - I roll off into the floor with gun in hand, looking for movement; she keeps screaming; I yell "SHUT THE HELL UP" and then have to move again because I just gave away my location. Then she grabs a flashing and starts shining it around (giving anyone trying to come in her exact location). Then I have to yell "SHUT THAT FREAKING FLASHLIGHT OFF!" and move again, all the while scanning the doors and windows thinking "I'm about to shoot somebody for the first time". Then, she shines the flashlight at ME. I'm thinking, ok, somebody just shoot her, because now I'M exposed...Yell at her again and move again...after what seems like an eternity (but was really about a minute), we figure out she's having a nightmare and screaming "IT's (water) coming in"...
I was never so glad to get out of there.
