ST. MARTIN PARISH — On Friday morning, Merline and her husband Maxie Batiste J.r., with the help of their loved ones, cleared out what was salvageable. Piling trash and storing items that made it in her camper.
Mrs. Batiste was leaving her grandaughter’s graduation Thursday evening when she received a call from her grandson Nyjul who was at her home.
“Said that ‘Mawmaw, the trailers shaking,’ and I said ‘where are you?’ he said ‘I’m in the room Mawmaw help,’” Batiste said.
Batiste was stuck in Parks, unable to run to her grandson’s side.
“I was trying to get to him but I couldn’t,” Batiste said. “I couldn’t. They had trees and wires all on the road and I was trying. I was trying.”
Batiste called 9-11, but someone else rescued her son first.
“The neighbors next door,” Batiste said.
“They heard him hollerin’ inside for help and they thought we was there and they said they prowled open the door and got him out until we got there and got through.”
Part of her roof is now in her backyard. There is also damage to nearly every room in her house.
“The living room, the kitchen, the bedroom,” Batiste said.
She said it all happened so quickly.
“I say a blink of an eye,” Batiste said. “Not even a good minute, or five minutes. Just that fast.”
Batiste believes her house can not be saved and there’s one thing she’s grateful for.
“That we’re alive, that we are all alive,” Batiste said. “That’s material things, I’m glad that he’s okay, we okay, I’m glad.”
