For my September blog I decided to reflect on my experience following Hurricane Ida. As someone who was born and raised in New Orleans, this was far from my first hurricane. My family decided to evacuate to Florida, and I met them there after the storm passed. First off, I just want to say how blessed that I am to be able to evacuate for a hurricane like this. I know that many people do not have the means to evacuate, and my heart always goes out to those that have to stay whenever a hurricane hits the city. The past two years I was working as an EMT during hurricane season (fortunately we did not have any storms this bad), but I am also thankful for our first responders who stay behind during times like these to serve the community. After driving all of Monday after the storm to meet my parents, I was listening to WWL in bed and couldn’t help but feel a sense of powerlessness while hearing reports of the damage, wishing I could do something to help those still in Louisiana. People in our community lean on one another for help in their time of need. I look forward to serving the community soon, along with my new classmates, to help those affected by the storm. I’ve seen the resiliency of Louisiana firsthand throughout my life, and I know that together we will build back a better New Orleans.