Surviving Hurricane Betsy: A Personal Narrative

I’m Ida Belle Joshua and I survived Hurricane Betsy. I moved to the Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1949 and bought my lot for $200 and paid for all my materials so we would not be in debt. Even though the Ninth Ward was mostly African American we were doing good before Betsy and we all worked hard and kept the neighborhood up. I was working as a hairdresser and my husband worked on the river. I was also the president of the Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Council and Beautification Committee.
The natural disaster ,hurricane Betsy hit on September 9th, 1965 the day of my scheduled surgery . The day hurricane Betsy hit it was a category 2 hurricane. Out of all my children my youngest was sick and my oldest child was keeping an eye on the

Poor people took the loans and ended up squandering the money on drinking and shopping.
After Hurricane Betsy the community started to deteriorate. I believed the levee has been blown to save other parts of the city but no one ever admitted that. I worked hard after Betsy to fight for urban renewal but it was hard and there was too much commitment to travel and attend meetings. All the grant money was spent on building homes and other investments in the community. The community leaders got rich but I didn’t get a dime. I moved away for awhile but then I moved back to the Ninth Ward. The neighbors were much more caring after Betsy.
My kids don’t talk about the Hurricane. I think young people haven’t picked up the torch of community activism. Our elected officials disappointed me and believe there is much corruption among them. It’s difficult to find people these days who are willing to work to better the community or who have the time. That’s why it’s important for churches and community centers to help combat the drug problems in the communities. My advice to young people is to get a good education and be successful so you can make a