It’s been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, leaving a lasting impact on those along the Gulf Coast — but the ripples stretched far beyond Louisiana, including to Holland, Michigan.
In 2005, Holland resident and councilmember Bylnda Sól was enlisted in the United States National Guard. In light of the devastation, Sól answered the call and deployed to New Orleans. Around the same time, Holland business owner Rochelle Holmes took in a caravan of evacuees.
Both women reflected on Hurricane Katrina — considered one of the five deadliest hurricanes to ever strike the U.S. — with The Sentinel in July. The natural disaster was responsible for nearly 1,400 deaths and over $100 billion in damage in southeast Louisiana.
Bylnda Sól, resident and councilmember in Holland, poses for a photo nearly 20 years after being deployed to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
On the ground after Hurricane Katrina
“It was my first deployment after basic training,” Sól told The Sentinel. “We were there to support local police and mainly patrolled and enforced curfew. We supported and patrolled the residential streets and neighborhoods in New Orleans and the surrounding communities.”
When she looks back at that time, what stands out the most to Sól is the complete devastation and the sheer impact on the lives of locals.
“Today, I realize how precious life is and how tomorrow isn’t guaranteed,” Sól said. ”You just never know when natural disasters will come. It changes my whole outlook on life.”
Sól said, for so many, material items could be replaced — but the uprooting of families, the loss of homes and heirlooms, hit much harder.
That’s why she believes, despite the evacuation notice, so many remained in their homes.
Nearly two decades later, Sól returned to New Orleans. There are still areas affected by Katrina, and even today, the experience left a mark.
“I think about the gift of life,” Sól said. “I can sometimes think of me, me, me, but I have to remember there are others who’ve had it much worse. It helps me be more compassionate with myself and more compassionate and empathetic with others.”
Rochelle Holmes, owner of Daddio’s in Holland, poses for a photo nearly 20 years after opening her home to evacuees after Hurricane Katrina.
Becoming a home to evacuees
Holland business owner Rochelle Holmes took in 27 refugees in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Holmes, the owner of Daddio’s, had just signed a lease to open the restaurant when the hurricane hit. Her sister lived in New Orleans, and was forced to evacuate and head north.
She and six family members made their way to Holland, joining with other evacuees along the way. By the time they arrived, the group had grown to 27.
Holmes and her husband, Tony, offered a home to all of them. They had a six-bedroom house, so each of five families were given a room. The local community wrapped their arms around the group, Holmes said, providing food, discounted shelter and more.
“What blew me away was how God moved people to help,” Holmes said. “People were coming from everywhere, from all walks of life, just wanting to do something.”
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But while the experience was rewarding, it wasn’t without challenges. Holmes worried the evacuees didn’t see God’s mercy at work, and the community rising around them.
“It was something I wasn’t used to,” Holmes said. “I had to set my feelings aside. They lived differently than I did. It was challenging, but the Lord used me to show them something.”
Regardless of the hardships, Holmes said, there’s nothing she would’ve done differently.
“I have to be obedient to what the Lord puts on my heart,” she said. “It ain’t about me. I will always be available to help where God wants me to help.”
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Twenty years later, two Hollanders reflect on Hurricane Katrina