Click HERE to read the newspaper article in the
Arizona Republic newspaper (9/13/05) about SonnyDJ (Emile)
Click HERE to read a poem by my sister-in-law about her home in Arabi.
Katrina Video Montage
Click Here for the list of records I lost in Katrina
Here is the guestbook link from my now defunct Sonnydj's Music Archives website. All that remains are some cached pages on Google and the record list and guestbook. Interesting to read now after Katrina.
View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook
Click Here to see my story's UPDATE written February 06, 2006.
Dear Friends, My mother and I made it out alive (barely) after getting around 5 ft or more of water inside the house. We had weathered the hurricane OK, with no water in the house. But when the Industrial Canal levee broke, ALL of New Orleans East flooded. Everything is gone. Records, CD's computer, turntables, etc. Sofas floating, refrigerator turned over on its own, etc. I was so afraid that when we took to the safety of the attic that the water would continue to rise but my mother's house was relatively high and the water did not reach the ceiling or get into the attic. We spent a horrific night in the attic and could not sleep because of the danger of falling into the water below so I took 30 second cat naps. There was not enough room for me or my mother to lie down so I had to sit at a 45-60 degree angle all night. My back was nearly broken. I heard helicopters around 4AM but there was no way for them to know we were trapped in the attic so I just waited until I heard them again around 8AM... my mother heard them but they disappeared as quickly as they came. At 10AM I heard more and decided that our ONLY chance was for me to climb down to the floor (5 feet of toxic water) and get outside. So I proceeded to do so and was screaming "help, help help!" Someone answered me and our neighbors 3 doors down were on their roof, trying to attract the attention of the rescue helicopters. It turns out that there was another family down the street waiting as well so we had at least 8-9 people waiting to be rescued. I can't go into every detail but let me just say that we weren't picked up until almost 8PM that night. I was in the water all that time (yes, had my tetanus shot!) and my mother fell into the water when she exited the attic and got it in her ears and eyes and hit the doorknob with such force that it broke completely off and caused a HUGE bruise on her leg. Had her leg been broken, I'm sure we'd both have perished. We spent 6 unbelievable days of hell at the Convention Center. Everything you guys saw on CNN (did you see ME?) was only the tip of the iceberg. We had no food or water for 3 days. Thank GOD I brought some bottled water, rice cakes, and a jar of peanut butter. My mother being a diabetic as well needed to be cool (it was 95+degrees inside and STIFLING) and eat regularly. We had so many promises of help and rescue that we quit believing them after 3 times. This just didn't happen until SUNDAY after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. By the 6th night I was ready to assault a national guardsman so he would shoot me and get this over... it was THAT bad. We'd lost ALL hope of being rescued and just awaited our deaths by this time. It wasn't until Geraldo Rivera came down himself and saw what was going on and DEMANDED that something be done that things began to happen. When we finally got out, my mother was in a wheelchair and I wasn't so we were separated at the last minute when I got into a helicopter using the rear ramp and my mother was supposed to enter in the front of the copter. It took off as soon as the last person was seated (there was 1 more seat which was filled seconds after I sat down and buckled up) and when I looked there were two black women and one black man in the wheelchairs. My mother had not gotten on because there was no room. So I waited NINE hours at Louis Armstrong airport for her to show up but she never did. There was no phone service and no one to really call... I asked about triage and they let me tour the over 300 people there... I looked into the face of EVERY one with white/grey hair and she just wasn't there. Finally at 9:30PM I got into line to be processed. By 12:30AM they had stopped flights and I collapsed from sheer exhaustion and frustration. I awoke on the sidewalk at 3AM with a rifle pointed in my face... a US National Guardsman was yelling, "Get Up On Your Feet! NOW!!!" I was terrified, disoriented, didn't know what the hell was going on. It was amazing that I didn't wet my pants. I guess that if I weren't so dehydrated, I would have. At 4AM they opened the doors to the airport from the outside and we were all lined up for processing AGAIN. Apparently the 3+ hours I spent in line the night before was for nothing. I must say that I was inside and in a line by 5:30-6AM and in a waiting area for a plane by 7:30-8AM which was a great improvement over the previous night's experience. I prayed that my mother would remember that the last destination we had discussed was HOUSTON. As luck had it, the plane was headed for HOUSTON so I only prayed that she would be there too and we could reunite. Two people DIED in the group behind us so they rushed OUR GROUP into another waiting area... we finally boarded a plane but were told while we were in the air that they were taking us to PHOENIX ARIZONA! We were dumbfounded. NO ONE had even considered that we would go west of Texas but we had no choice. As it turns out, it was the best thing for this group and myself. When we arrived we had all the food, water, port-a-lets, medical attention, etc. that we could have wanted and I've not missed a hot meal since. Comfortable bedding (cots with mattresses, sleeping bags, etc.) Warm shower facilities, toiletries, etc. Everything we needed including new changes of underwear, shoes, clothing, etc. The people of Phoenix really opened their hearts to us. We also have free long distance calling but not internet (this is the first time I've been on in 2 weeks) and so I've contacted most of the family and friends. My mother was "found" in HOUMA (yes, HOUMA) where she is being cared for in a nurse's private home. She is being taken care of very well and refuses to leave to join me out west. One "angel" in particular was drawn to me and appeared when I needed help the most... took me to her own home for 3 nights. That made such a difference! I was not in the shelter and had "quiet time" and computer access and private room and shower and TV and so I got to watch what everyone else saw on CNN and MSNBC and FOX News in addition to local (Phoenix) coverage and all I can say is that BEING THERE IN PERSON I can tell you that what you see on TV is only the tip of the iceberg. It was 10X worse than they show. There were suicides, rapes (even of children as young as 4 years old), looting, near riots, abandoning the elderly and infirm in wheelchairs and dead bodies floating in the water all over New Orleans East. They are finding more and more remains of people who were trapped in their attics or died waiting in vain for help. It was the most horrendous experience in my life but to my knowledge all family and friends are alive... somewhere... we're all "scattered" to the winds but thanks to the internet and long distance phone lines can keep in touch, but the 504 local area code to N.O. is not reliable, so much of the grid is down including cell phone towers. Verizon seems to be the company with the best chance for "connectectivity" so those who had cell phone service with that company were able to reach others. Just about all other wireless companies were hit and miss. I still have not spoken with my youngest brother David, but he knows I'm safe and has even visited my mom in Houma. I had friends who hadn't heard from me in 8-9 days who feared the worst but I had no way to contact them. No electricity, phone lines either dead or you heard "All Circuits Are Busy" which meant that the lines were DOWN, not overloaded. They continued to pray for us and didn't give up hope. Not everyone I've written to has responded yet even after a week. I hope that only means that they do not have internet access and not that they have perished. I'll keep waiting for word from them and hope and pray for the best. I had an offer of shelter from a girlfriend of mine for over 40 years and am now residing in Riverside, California for the time being until further notice. I made it here to California with the help of Mary Elizabeth, the social worker I mentioned previously, who made SURE that I got a plane ticket through PRIVATE donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society when the Red Cross seemed to have to go through so much red tape that she got upset with them. She is my guardian angel, for within 10 minutes after seeing me, a reservation was made through them. I am so thankful to be safe and in a family environment rather than the shelter. Her church has adopted me so offers of clothing and other immediate needs are being met. The best side of human nature is gleaming through the darkness and giving me hope for the future. Take care and God Bless You all. Sincerely, Mr. Emile Gardette Looking forward to the future... not the past!