Harvard Students Tell of Gustav Evacuations

Harvard students throughout the Gulf Coast had varied experiences as Hurricane Gustav made landfall, with some able to evacuate and others stranded in the face of the natural disaster.

Ryan Williams '10, a resident of Baton Rouge, La. was one of many whose families were told to evacuate north as Gustav approached. But Williams noted that many of his friends and family members stayed behind.

"I have friends from the West Bank, 17th Ward, 9th Ward, and general surrounding towns around New Orleans," Williams said by e-mail from the Baton Rouge airport. "Many stayed because they didn't have means to leave, and were unsure how long they would be gone. Many stayed because they have little to nothing, and there is not much more they can leave."

"Many stayed because they were not up to the ordeal and uncertainties of evacuation," Williams continued. "It is hard to leave your home and everything you own, not knowing what you will return to."

Teddy Martin '10 was forced to evacuate from New Orleans along with the rest of his family following the mandatory evacuation order issued by Mayor Ray Nagin.

"My family and I were torn about whether to stay in the city or leave town," Martin said by e-mail. "Though there was a 'mandatory' evacuation, we knew that our part of town (The Garden District/Uptown) would not flood, and we wanted to take care of any damage to our house if need be."

But Martin and his family finally decided to evacuate, heading for the Florida Panhandle, due to worries about what the quality of life would be like in the city following Gustav.

Williams pointed out that although the preparations for Katrina and the aftermath were "despicable," the evacuation from the Gulf Coast was more orderly than prior to Katrina.

In addition, Martin noted that there were National Guardsmen in the area as early as Saturday, preparing for the coming storm.

As for actions that the government could take to make New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf safer, Williams asked why the government wasn't doing more to improve the levees.

"I visited the Lower 9th Ward a couple of months ago with some friends," Williams said. "It is despicable and a shame to see that in the Lower Ninth Ward, an area with predominantly poor African-Americans, there are weak, seven-foot levees."

The Harvard sophomore claimed that, in contrast, the levees he had seen in predominantly white communities to the north were stronger and could withstand greater storm surges.

"This is unequal, institutional discrimination and a denial of government protection at its clearest," Williams added.

Both Martin and Williams called for students to make donations to national organizations like Salvation Army and the American Red Cross, as well as local New Orleans organizations like the Lower Ninth Ward Homeowners Association and the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development.

Despite the destruction, the students seemed hopeful for the future of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

"The culture of New Orleans and of the American South is truly vibrant and beautiful," Martin said, "and it will always prevail, no matter the weather."

—Staff writer Prateek Kumar can be reached kumar@fas.harvard.edu.