As Hurricane Ida moves upward from where it hit the Louisiana coast Sunday, there is so much to be done as people take in the damage the massive storm left behind.
In the northern part of New Orleans, near Lake Pontchartrain, Ida wasn't the first big one for many people.
"We were just really nervous. We just didn’t know if we were going to get water or not," said resident Marius Williams.
For New Orleans native Williams, he was concerned about flooding in his neighborhood, but the problem didn't come from below. His ceiling caved in from above, the casualty of powerful hurricane winds.
"I was very concerned," Williams added. "We didn’t know how high it was going to get and we didn’t know if it was going to be a 3 or 4 when it came. I was just being still, praying.”
It's a fear way too reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina. Williams was 15 years old when he evacuated for the storm in 2005.
“On the radio we heard people calling for help. We heard that the levees were going to hold and they did but the levees broke somewhere else. When we heard that, we got real nervous.”
Even though Williams suffered damage at his home, he's never considered moving. He says it's that resiliency that defines the city.
“It’s just who we are, we bounce back," he said. "All we’re going to do is pick up and party when Mardi Gras comes around.”
His is a sentiment plenty of people feel in the area. When asked why they stay, knowing another storm could put them in danger, they say this is their home and leaving isn't something many of them consider.
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