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Keith McCord ReportingHurricane Katrina certainly was a huge story this past year. The effects of the story were also felt in Utah, but in a good way. Utahn's reached out to help, making Katrina our #2 story of the year.
Whenever there's a natural disaster or other catastrophe anywhere in the world, Utah steps up, and we did it again following Hurricane Katrina. Within hours, millions of dollars worth of relief supplies were boxed, packed and on their way. Organizations like Globus Relief sent tons of stuff.
Sarah Monson, Community Relations Mgr., Globus Relief: “We’re shipping 26 pallets. It’ll be about 15 to 20 tons, mostly hygiene supplies and cleaning supplies.”
When Lewis Brothers Stages decided to help out the transportation needs, the LDS Church filled those buses with thousands of hygiene kits and sent them on their way. Local trucking companies lent a hand too; food distributor Nicholas and Company donated trucks, drivers and food and headed south.
Jennifer Carroll, Human Resources Mgr., Nicholas & Co.: "What we're looking to do is reach out to the community and see if we can get a convoy together where we can leave from Salt Lake City and head to Texas."
On their way down, they joined up with big military convoys that stretched for miles. When the Nicholas trucks arrived in Louisiana, they drove around from place to place, and handed out water and food to whoever needed it.
Then came the plea from New Orleans-- could other states temporarily take in residents who had lost their homes? We said yes!
Governor Huntsman: "With so many homeless and so many displaced people, we want to do everything we can as a state."
Governor Huntsman said Utah could put up a thousand people at Camp Williams. Within days they started arriving, plane after plane, day and night, grateful to be here.
"Once we got here, Utah, I never felt so good when we got off the plane. There was clapping. It made me take a deep breath; I was relieved."
Most of those Louisiana residents have moved on now. Some are back home, others have relocated, and a few have started new lives here in Utah.
And that wasn't all. Utahns helped animals too. Volunteers from the Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab went to Louisiana to build temporary sanctuaries for lost pets. And the Salt Palace Convention Center opened its doors and made room for conventions which were originally booked in New Orleans. Utah helped in many ways and will again!
