Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Alex Cabrero reporting There were bad days for one Katrina evacuee now in Utah, but now it looks like there are good days ahead.
As families gather this weekend to share stories of the past year, none have quite the story the Cohn's have. The Cohns haven't seen each other in four months, and that's thanks to Hurricane Katrina. But this weekend, they're together again.
At the Salt Lake airport, this weekend is all about reunions... seeing those you haven't seen in awhile. But it's likely nobody will have the kind of reunion Barbara Cohn is about to have.
Barbara Cohn: "I'm so excited. I can't wait to touch my grandbaby and daughter."
It takes a minute to get used to her thick cajun accent. Not too many people from New Orleans ever move to Salt Lake City. Then again, not too many people have gone through what she has.
Barbara Cohn/ Katrina Survivor: "I still can't believe it at times. To me, it's still a shock sometimes."
You see, Cohn was in New Orleans when Katrina-- the most devastating hurricane in American history-- decided to pay her hometown a visit.
She hasn't seen her daughter, grandson, and son-in-law since. They were separated when the storm hit, and with no home left or communications, didn't know where each other were.
Barbara ended up in Salt Lake, her daughter in Houston. But thanks to Flight 555, they're finally going to be together again.
When the reunion came, it was as if everything they've been through didn't matter anymore.
This Christmas is going to be one to remember.
Keisha Cohn/ Katrina Survivor: "We got our Christmas wish. Nice holiday. We're going to start 2006 so beautifully because my whole family is finally together."
And that, is the meaning of Christmas.
Barbara Cohn: "Family. Love. Thank God everybody is alive."
Barbara says she's having a big gumbo Christmas dinner with all the fixings. She just had a hard time finding live crawfish here in Salt Lake to go with her Cajun meal.
