NEW ORLEANS (AP) — For the small New Orleans Haitian community that lived through Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in their homeland is bringing back a barrage of bad memories and stress.
One of those is Pierre Confident, a 48-year-old electrical engineer. His home was flooded with 5 feet of water during the 2005 storm.
He calls it “a nightmare.”
Looking at his fellow Haitians today, he says they wish they had even a flooded home to live in.
However, Haitians here also see cause for hope.
Unlike the much-maligned response to Katrina, the U.S. government’s reaction to the disaster in Haiti has been swift. President Barack Obama has pledged $100 million for relief, and some 10,000 troops were ordered to the devastated nation.