Show #317 Airing Sunday, 10/30/05
It’s hard to get a true sense of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina simply from pictures. So today we’re bringing you a first-hand report. Our guest, Jim Busch, volunteered in the Katrina recovery efforts. Jim is co-owner of Busch Funeral and Cremation Services.
Question: You’ve recently returned from Biloxi, Mississippi and from helping with some of the clean-up effort down there. How did you get involved?
Answer: My brother had met Jeffrey O’Keefe about 10 years ago at a funeral directors association meeting, and had become very good friends with his family over the years. After Katrina hit, we were all very concerned about them, and it was several days before we learned that their family was safe.
However, there was a lot of damage. They had five funeral home locations, and two of them were hit extremely hard. One’s entire first floor was ruined.
In addition, 10 of their employees lost everything. They were homeless and only had the clothes on their backs. Several of them had small children as well.
Question: So you made the decision to go down there?
Answer: Yes, we decided helping Jeff, his family, his employees and their families would be our focus. First we gathered money and goods for the 10 employees and their families: food, clothes, professional clothes, TVs, microwaves, WalMart cards, etc.
But what they really need down there is manpower. There is so much work to be done. The team of 5 people we had put together went down and worked for a week, just doing whatever we were told, mainly moving debris, clearing mud, and repairing the building. It really was incredible.
A car that was parked in a garage behind the building was found a quarter of a mile away.
The sign from there building was found even farther than that.
Question: How did this affect you personally?
Answer: It’s hard to put the devastation into words. It’s one thing to see a photo, or to see some video on television. But when we were there…we drove for 30 minutes…50 minutes…and it was still the same level of devastation. That’s something that you can’t put into words.
When I got back home, I sat down and started putting together a disaster plan for my business and for my family. So many people were separated, and couldn’t get in touch with each other because all of the communication systems were down. Then when they came up, no one knew where to call. Everyone should plan to have someone—who lives elsewhere—to be designated as the person to contact in case of an emergency. That would have helped many people find each other.
Cleveland weather is no longer a detriment in my mind—it’s an asset.
Question: How are the residents down there coping? Did you get a feel for how long it would take to get back to normal?
Answer: Everyone is still evaluating what they are doing. There’s a sense of “Should we start rebuilding? What community will there be to serve?” But overall, there is a desire to rebuild, and a lot of hope.
Questin: Can our viewers still help?
Answer: Yes. There’s still lots to do. Go down and volunteer. And contribute.
It’s hard to comprehend the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. And there’s still lots to do. For more information on how you can help, give Jim a call.
If you would like to read the Plain Dealer article detailing Jim's experiences, please click here.
