HOUMA, La. — We're approaching the two-year mark of Hurricane Ida and we often hear the stories from adults, but rarely do we get to hear from children who felt the impact too.
Fifteen students in first through fourth grade from High Achievers Student Enrichment Center in Houma wrote down their experiences and they are now in a published book.
"My family evacuated from Hurricane Ida. I was scared because Hurricane Ida was coming," Wyatt Chaisson, 7, read from his entry.
Caroline Bourg, 11, made the cover for the book, 'Hurricane Ida through the eyes of a child.'
"My family and I had to go to Texas. I was really nervous about my cats because my cats could not come to Texas," Bourg read from her entry. "I just remember sitting in my uncles living room and saying hopefully it's not that bad."
The school's director and ELA teacher Pamela Pellegrin recognized that children too were facing the destruction, heartbreak, and resiliency as Hurricane Ida devastated Terrebonne Parish.
"The children had been through so much so that’s what we started doing, talking about their experiences. Some had a hard time expressing how they were feeling so they started drawing pictures," Pellegrin said.
It helped them process what they were facing.
"When we returned to our house, my house was broken. I was sad," Chaisson said.
Wyatt Chaisson and his sister, Bree Chaisson, 9, evacuated three hours away.
"My mom's friend was updating us on our house. She told us our roof flew off and my mom was really sad. When we got home our house was destroyed so we had to live with my mawmaw and pawpaw. Their house flooded a couple of times but it’s okay now. I am also not that sad about my house anymore but I still miss it. Soon I'm getting a new house. I’m excited about that," Bree Chaisson read from her entry.
"I thought how great would this be to have this in a book and they could have this for generations to come. It's a part of history, but through the eyes of a child rather than through the eyes of an adult," Pellegrin said.
Pellegrin had the book published through Student Treasures Publishing in May. It's now at the Terrebonne Parish Library to read in the library, not for checkout.
"The most important thing is we’re never alone and these children have shown that that they’re never alone. They know where to go for the helpers," said Terrebonne Parish Library Preschool Outreach Manager, Lillie Brunet.
"Through all of the devastation, the children had a lot of positive things to say, how it brought the community together," Pellegrin said.
"We helped the people by giving them food, water, and pet food," Bourg read from her entry.
Schools and parents can order the book through Student Treasures Publishing, a free student publishing company that allows children to become published authors. Visit studentreasures.com/ordercopies using pin #8254033.
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