LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Some people now living in Louisville have experienced the powerful and devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, are speaking about their experiences.
"I had a really hard time dealing with it emotionally... I mean I left work on a Friday telling everyone see you Monday!" Angela Kern said.
One weekend left hundreds dead when Hurricane Katrina unexpectedly took a turn and headed straight for New Orleans. That’s where Angela Kern, her husband, 8-week-old son, and 2-year-old daughter were living at the time.
"We attempted to evacuate but our car broke down on the interstate...” Kern said.
Kern and her family got caught in the storm and nearly 16 hours later, borrowed a truck from Angela's father-in-law and with half a tank of gas, the family tried their escape.
"All of the debris was blocking the roads and we're driving over downed power lines, we're driving around tree stumps that are bigger than the truck we're in, it was scary..."Kern said.
742 miles away Jimmy Pollard was at home in Kentucky.
"We got the call from Doctor Lewis Kataldi who was the Chief Medical Examiner for New Orleans at the time and asked for some assistance..." Pollard said.
The Henry County Coroner and his team of 12 set out to do body recovery.
"I remember two locations very vividly that we went to where they had 2 fatalities and once we made entrance into the home to make the removal and we'd find whole families..." Pollard said. "We went into this nursing home and very moving, they did everything they could to try and save these people all the beds, gurneys and stretchers were all at the front door they were waiting for someone to come and rescue them which never made it..."
Angela and Jimmy have never crossed paths, but both vividly remember the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, 15 years ago.
"Out of those 236 people that we recovered there was probably that many more that we couldn't because they wouldn’t allow us in because it was too dangerous..." Pollard said.
"I worked with a lot of wonderful people and a lot of them I never even seen again you leave your job on a Friday and then a hurricane hits over the weekend and you don’t go back..." Kern said.
Angela and her family live in Kentucky and she's now a JCPS teacher, while Jimmy says if he gets another call for recovery or help efforts in Louisiana again, he will gladly head out.