Evacuation Vacation

How residents de-stressed during Hurricane Gustav

Along with Hurricane Gustav came a lot more than just forced evacuations and debris pick-ups across the parish.

For many residents, the powerful storm brought with it emotional stress and the overwhelming uncertainty of how to pick up the pieces and get St. Charles Parish back to normal.

And most say that they survived this natural disaster and stayed level headed by indulging in everyday distractions like reading a book and avoiding the constant news coverage of the storm.

Evacuee Bobbi Fahrig, who fled from Paradis to Pelham, Ala. just days before Gustav came ashore, says that it was Alabama’s southern hospitality and family atmosphere that helped her cope.

“It was really difficult not to let the stress get to me, especially with two small children confined to one hotel room,” she said. “But luckily for us Pelham had a lot of things to occupy myself and the kids with for little or no cost at all.”

Fahrig points out that treating the evacuation like a normal vacation was one of the best ways to escape from the tension.

And workers at Alabama’s largest zoo agree. After all, they offered special discounts to everyone who had to leave their homes because of Gustav’s arrival.

“The Birmingham Zoo let all of the evacuees in for free the whole week we were there,” said Fahrig. “That really helped everyone keep their minds off of things back home.”

Like Fahrig, fellow Paradis resident Erica Williams also evacuated and says that staying glued to the news during the storm was definitely not the best method to remain stress-free.

“My family evacuated to my in-law’s camp in Osyka, Miss. and although there wasn’t much to do out in the woods, we tried not to watch the news,” she said. “We watched plenty of movies and I actually read two books within our first two days there. My 10-month-old son, Brody, also did a great job of keeping everyone entertained.”

During her evacuation, Williams says that the thought of coming back to the parish to check on her house was always in the back of her mind.

“We had a good time in Osyka and enjoyed being able to get away for few days, but we were all ready to get back home and see what damage had been done.”

For most evacuees, being hundreds of miles away from the parish helped keep Gustav at bay.

But for those who remained close to their homes, his presence was hard to avoid.

Des Allemands residents Christine Cheramie and Stacy Scioneaux decided to ride out the storm, but left their double-wide trailer to weather Gustav alone as they took shelter in neighboring St. James Parish.

“We didn’t want to leave, but we knew that we couldn’t be in our trailer when the storm hit,” said Cheramie. “So Stacy and I decided to stay with his parents in their brick home in Vacherie.”

Cheramie loaded up her mid-size SUV with every necessity they would need during the evacuation including their most prized possession, the family dog Max.

“It was hard to be in a house with 14 people, especially during the days after the storm,” she said. “There was no electricity and the stress was really starting to build up.

“But we found that it helped to just get in the car and drive around the neighborhood for a few minutes in the air condition or read a book. And Stacy and Max helped keep each other entertained.”

While simple pleasures like reading or getting out of the house helped Cheramie’s family deal with Gustav’s wrath, others who stayed had a much harder time coping.

Destrehan resident Jim Poche, who owns a townhouse in the Ormond subdivision, says that it was difficult for him to not think about the storm.

“My wife and my two kids went to Tennesse to stay with her parents, but I needed to stay here so I could get back to work as soon as the storm passed,” he said.

Poche has worked for a local construction company for the past six years and knew that his services would be needed immediately by his customers to help make repairs on their homes and businesses.

“I didn’t know how long it would take to get back home if I evacuated, so I told my wife to pack up the kids and say a prayer for me,” he continued.

But avoiding stress during the days of Gustav was nearly an impossible feat for Poche to sustain.

“I watched the news every morning until the cable went out the day the storm hit and after that I listened to the news on the radio,” he said. “My only escape became drinking and talking to what few neighbors stayed behind.”

Poche says that he nearly became obsessed with news about the storm and what damage it caused.

“I really think that what helped me cope the most what thinking about my family returning home and getting our lives back on track,” he said. “There’s been a lot of clean-up, but there’s also been a lot of people back in the neighborhood.

“And that’s a good thing. I would advise everyone who doesn’t want evacuate to not ride out a hurricane alone. It brings you down and for some people it could be hard to get back up.”

With nearly all of St. Charles Parish having restored power and most of the debris cleared from the streets, it seems as though the “Parish of Plenty” is going to be just fine.

For more information on dealing with hurricane-related stress and depression, call 1-800-RED-CROSS for a help center near you or call your local hospital for more information on services available.