Meteorologically speaking, the Atlantic hurricane season does not end until Nov. 30. But from a psychological standpoint, there’s a collective feeling among those in South Louisiana that once we get past Aug. 29, we’re on the downhill side of it all.
That’s the date in 2005 that Katrina roared ashore – and changed everything.
And although there are infinite reasons to look back at those dark post-storm days with solemnity – starting with the 1,170 Louisiana lives lost as a result of the storm – it also gave us innumerable acts of heroism.
For example, out of the storm came the Cajun Navy, that civilian-led rescue corps that exemplifies the region’s just-do-it ethos. There was also the outflow of civic pride – and countless fleur-de-lis tattoos – that locals defiantly displayed as they rebuilt.
And, here on the Northshore, there was St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital – “a beacon of light” in the wake of the storm, as one publication put it.
Like everything else, the health system was truly tested by Katrina. Unlike the levees in New Orleans, it held.
Which brings us to today’s installment in our ongoing 70 for 70 series.
Installment No. 56: Braving the storm
Today’s artifact: A collection of news clippings chronicling St. Tammany Health System’s storm response, including a copy of the October 2005 issue of Sophisticated Woman magazine headlined “Heroes Among Us” and our own Heart to Heart magazine, with the headline on its cover proclaiming “St. Tammany Parish Hospital Responds.”
Why it is significant: It was a dark time, both figuratively and literally.
In addition to the historic levels of suffering Hurricane Katrina wrought across the Gulf South, it also knocked out electricity for weeks on end throughout much of the region, hampering recovery efforts and dampening spirits.
But there was a notable exception on the Northshore.
As part of its extensive pre-storm preparations, St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington had two power generators in place – a primary system to run the hospital and a backup in case that first one went kaput. With that, when the lights went out everywhere else, the hospital was indeed a beacon of light, a shining symbol of hope amid an eerily darkened landscape.
In addition to making the hospital a default hub for recovery efforts, it stood as a much-needed signal to residents that we would, indeed, make it through.
“Because of this dedication to the people of this community,” Sophisticated Woman wrote, “St. Tammany Parish Hospital never missed a beat before, during and after Hurricane Katrina.”
As part of the health system’s response, a team staffed a community shelter for special-needs residents at Covington High School. Other hospital staffers – many of whom sheltered at the hospital with their families – did what they were trained to do: save lives.
That included a local 2-year-old who was grievously injured when a tree fell on her family’s home. It included an octogenarian rushed to the hospital’s Emergency Department to receive lifesaving care. It included numerous others.
There work wasn’t just restricted to the hospital campus, either.
As evacuated doctors, nurses and other colleagues returned to town, many pitched in however they could. Some ran a hospital laundry to support on-duty colleagues and out-of-town rescue workers. Others staffed a temporary daycare so other colleagues could return to work. Still others went out in the community to remove felled trees and to tarp compromised roofs.
“During the worst natural disaster to ever strike our parish, St. Tammany parish Hospital continued to treat the citizens of our community,” then-Parish President Kevin Davis said at the time. “The hospital implemented its emergency response plan, and the plan worked. It’s a good feeling to know that St. Tammany Parish Hospital is here for all of us.”
Do you have a St. Tammany Parish Hospital story or item to share? We’d love to hear about it! Email us at CommDept@stph.org.
Next week – Installment No. 57: A father's love
Last week – Installment No. 55: In the name of the father