Hurricane Katrina Fisherman's Relief Fund

Personal Stories From Those Affected

The Bumblebee Story

The world is focused on the effects of the storm that hit the Gulf Coast last weekend. As most of you know we have a shrimp plant in St. Bernard Parish, south of Chalmette in the small town of Violet.

Many of you also know that Friday we located the last of the management staff when I received a text message from Joe who was on the Mississippi River on his way up to Plaquemine.

Picked up Joe on Saturday and spent some time with him. The real story here is unbelievable. He was stuck in the plant, second floor office. Water rose and got up to the office on this location, which was up on the levee about 25-30 feet. The factory side had 10-15 feet of water in the plant. If you recall the Shrimp boats tie up in the back canal and it was packed. Some of the boats may have slammed into the main building, but we have no confirmation. The Boiler room shed blew off and the gas line broke, threaten the entire town as it was spewing up in the water. Joe and 2 shrimpers, paddled out there and dived down to shut it off. It you had lit a match, Boom !!!!. During the days after, Joe fed the community with the cans of product that were under water and used our well water to drink. After a few days they decided that they had to get out as no one was coming. They navigated around to find the Mississippi river levee, about 40 ft + and found 4 flat bottom boats and rode up the Mississippi River to the Plaquemine pier. We picked him and 18 others up that he had rode up the river. Joe's birthday was Monday, he was 70......

I sent Joe to Virginia for a week to drop off his wife and some family members Gave him some cash and told him to take a few days off. Ricky is still in the Parish and being taken care of by the City as he is on the Council, but as soon as I see him I will give him a hug. Staves is in Houston, others spread around. The plant workers, the key ones, have not all been found. Have rented a house in baton Rouge as well as looking for a place to stay in Jefferson Parish once it opens, at least for 6 months that our staff can use to live in to rebuild and we are also working on an assistance plan for employees in the wake of this disaster.

On my arrival Thursday, we had to get relief food to SE Red Cross in Mandeville from Augusta, shipping overnight, (this Red Cross group services St. Tammany, Washington and will take over St. Bernard once they open up). Yesterday we delivered to the La. Dept. of Agriculture as they have been the only agency coordinating ANY food to St. Bernard. It has been going on the ferry down to the area as they continue to be underwater. I have been on the ground coordinating our people to ensure hat they have a place to go as well as working with the critical relief efforts. BB was here to help Louisiana and you are all part of this effort. As we were one of the first here, we were one of the first groups here to help with food relief. The Augusta product that we got to its Red Cross unit in Abita was just in time to allow them to make meals the next days. If President Bush eats the lunch today on his tour, he will have our Castleberry stew. The Charter air flight that SD got off the ground yesterday was in the hands of refugees in St. Bernard today and the pouches will arrive tomorrow destined to the area as well. We are getting relief to the outlying areas, but slowly.

The area is completely under water with more devastation than anyone could imagine.

A post script to the Joe Story, yesterday we were in the shelters in Pearl River which had shrimpers in the shelter. When the heard who we were they talked and talked about BB and Old Joe saving the town, tears streaming down their face.

BB is on the ground working with all to save the area, or at least do what we could do.

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