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A guy I met in Pass Christian on the Mississippi coast has only ventured from his home two or three times since the storm hit. He'd put his roof on himself and his home was intact, while his neighbors' homes were demolished. He'd had the good sense to store up food and water for such an eventuality and didn't really need to go out. When I arrived, he'd made an excellent vegetable soup that he offered to his guests. He said he was moving; he'd had it with storms and with what he called the “rich necks” who were building huge mansions along the Gulf Coast and changing the nature of a community he loved. He also said that on the few occasions he hadventured out he had gotten a sharp pain in his gut and had to come back home. Chemical testing He did take us out though and showed us Dupont's Delisle plant, which is close to the shoreline. Officials from the plant began a full court press in the days after the storm to convince worried residents that there had been no damage to the facilities and no toxic releases into the air or soil. We had several chemists with us who weren't inclined to take public relations for fact, and instead took soil samples. We'll see what's what soon enough. On the way back to the house, we detoured through a residential area where the orange spray paint indicated people had died. The hieroglyphs of tragedy. It's hard to absorb all this sadness, there's no perspective to be had. Sierra magazine senior writer Marilyn Snell was in Louisiana a week after hurricane Rita hit the western part of the state. She bought her tickets months ago--and got much more than she bargained for: a closeup look at hurricane havoc and what she calls "the hieroglyphics of tragedy." Her articles based on this journey will appear in the January/February and March/April issues of Sierra. Back to Notes from the Gulf main page. Have your own story from the Gulf Coast? Contact us. Photos: Marilyn Snell/Sierra Club collection; all rights reserved. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club