StoryCorps Hurricane Katrina: Calabrisi

From: StoryCorps
Series: StoryCorps
Length: 02:09

Roy Calabrisi and his brother Anthony talk about rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Katrina. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: StoryCorps Hurricane Katrina: Calabrisi
From: StoryCorps

Calabrisi_small When Katrina hit, Roy Calabrisi, 83, stayed in his home. But after he suffered a heart attack, he was taken by boat and then airlifted to a hospital for successful heart surgery. His younger brother, Tony, 77, evacuated his home in St. Bernard Parish just before it was reported that the levees had broken. Roy's home flooded and then burned when a fire started next door. Tony and Roy have an older brother, Sal. They also have two sisters. One, who is 82, moved to Alabama with another sister after Katrina totaled her home. Roy vows never to leave, saying "When I go, I'll go out feet first."

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Piece Description

When Katrina hit, Roy Calabrisi, 83, stayed in his home. But after he suffered a heart attack, he was taken by boat and then airlifted to a hospital for successful heart surgery. His younger brother, Tony, 77, evacuated his home in St. Bernard Parish just before it was reported that the levees had broken. Roy's home flooded and then burned when a fire started next door. Tony and Roy have an older brother, Sal. They also have two sisters. One, who is 82, moved to Alabama with another sister after Katrina totaled her home. Roy vows never to leave, saying "When I go, I'll go out feet first."

Broadcast History

This was not broadcast.

Transcript

AC: When you got back into the Parish what was the first thing you did,
you return to your home,

RC: Yeah, return to the house, and see what we can do. the whole house
had burnt down, and it just was a straight disaster, and I said
somewhere somehow, someday I'll be able to put it back together.

AC: Well, I'm 77 years old, Roy, and how old are you? RC: 83.

AC: You 83. And from what I'm looking around here, at St. Bernard
Parish, it looks like we ain't going to make it.

RC: We may not, may not make it, we may not make, we holding on, that's
all, you know, just hang on, you hold on, we'll get it, say a little
prayer, and we'll get it. But anyhow,

AC: They taking so long. you got 5 or 7 years, maybe 10. RC: I hope, I
hope. AC: I got 10 maybe. maybe don't got 6 months. We can't even start
doing anything. RC: But we gotta do the best we possibly can to survive.
And hope for the best. A...
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