Published: August 29, 2006 01:28 pm            

A Year Later

A year ago Effingham resident Scott Ealy and his son, Robert, decided on the spur of the moment to load up a van of supplies and drive to the Gulf Coast in an effort to aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Looking back on the quick decision, Ealy said it was one of the best decisions he has made in his life.

Oftentimes, Ealy said, he has thought about helping a certain cause or has considered lending a helping hand where needed, but those thoughts and considerations many times fizzled out without action when he was either held back by other people or whenever he held himself back.

So last year when he got the idea to deliver needed supplies to the Southern states, he is glad he followed through and even more pleased he was able to share the experience with his son.

“We were watching CNN and feeling badly for the people down there, and we were feeling like we wanted to do something — anything,” recalled Scott Ealy, who has relatives who live in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Since Scott Ealy says the biggest regrets in his life are when he thought about doing something good, but then did nothing, the decision to travel to the South with his son to help those in need is something he will never forget.

“I will always remember thinking it over and knowing that this was an important time in my son’s life,” said Ealy. “We made a memory, and it has strengthened the bond between us.”

Ealy said he hopes the experience taught his son the importance of aiding those in need and how it is important to have people there to count on when bad things happen.

The trip south after Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast is something both Scott and Robert Ealy vividly remember.

“I remember just complete devastation,” said Robert Ealy, adding trees down, debris scattered everywhere and bridges destroyed were just a few memories he has of what he describes as “total destruction.”

Since their trip a year ago, both Scott and Robert Ealy have returned to the South to visit family members in the area, including Ealy’s mother and stepfather, Jude and Lee Ealy of Poplarville, Miss., and his sister, Angela Maone of Metairie, La.

Although their family is all doing fine, both said the atmosphere has changed as people continue to get their lives back in order.

“It is almost like a new birth in so many ways in the area,” said Scott Ealy. “It is a fresh start for a lot of people and a new beginning.”

With the anniversary of the disaster recognized this week, both Scott and Robert Ealy are reminded of the trip they shared together to deliver supplies.

“Now when we watch the anniversary programs, we see the highlights of the coverage and to think we were a very small part of that gives me a sense of appreciation for making that decision,” said Scott Ealy. “It is an experience the two of us will always remember.”

Robert Ealy agreed the experience he shared with his father is unforgettable.

“I feel really good about helping. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go down and help,” he said.

Scott’s mother and Robert’s grandmother, Jude Ealy, said she didn’t know about their trip South until after they returned.

“They didn’t even tell us. We didn’t hear about it until they got back,” said Jude Ealy, who had evacuated her home and was staying in Effingham at the time. “Scott said he knew I would have tried to talk him out of it.”

But Jude Ealy added she was not surprised by their decision, saying that helping is “kind of a family tradition.”

As a result of Hurricane Katrina, damage to the 1 1/2-acre lot where Jude Ealy resides with her husband has altered the look of her property, and although she realizes it will never be the same, she, along with other members in the community, continues to work to restore their town.

“We are not done cleaning up. ... I don’t think it is ever going to look the same. (Hurricane Katrina) left a presence,” she said, adding new types of flowers and weeds have sprouted in her yard as a result of the hurricane.

Although the south is once again in the midst of hurricane season, Jude Ealy said she is not worried, and like other citizens who reside in the South, she will take the storms as they come.

“We are not paying too much attention to the hurricanes coming through,” she said. “These people are used to that stuff. We are ready.”

She added Hurricane Katrina is in the past.

“That is in the past already, now we talk about Katrina like they used to talk about (Hurricane) Camille (which occurred in 1969),” she said.

Now, when people from her area tell stories about hurricanes, they talk about how they survived Katrina, rather than Camille, or some talk about how they survived both.

In the aftermath of Katrina, Jude Ealy said the support the Gulf Coast received from other states is something that will not soon be forgotten.

“We are really grateful to all of our friends, relatives and people who we didn’t even know in Effingham who helped us out. All of the people in all of the states donated (items), and I just want to say thanks again to everybody in Effingham.”

Kim Wiedman can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 128 or kwiedman@effinghamdailynews.com