Anytime we experience the threat of severe weather, it can be difficult for those who have lived through it. For many who were impacted by a deadly tornado that hit Arabi nearly two years ago, being prepared is top of mind.
“It destroyed out everything,” Mike Fernandez said. “The patio, shed, it blew out all of our windows. We were inside hearing everything getting busted up around the house.”
In March of 2022, a tornado tore through Fernandez’s neighborhood, killing a man on his street.
“Some houses completely off the slab,” Fernandez said. “Completely destroyed, some of our neighbors are just getting back in their houses.”
One of those houses was torn down to its foundation and is just now being rebuilt. A few months later, lightening struck twice, in the same place. In December, another storm came through New Orleans and its suburbs. Fernandez assured his wife that everything would be okay.
“Baby we just got hit in March. The odds of us getting hit again, are one in a million and never going to happen. Sure enough it came right through,” Fernandez said.
That December, another tornado ripped through Arabi causing minor damage. It still rattled a community that was still healing. Now, as parish officials look ahead, they are urging people to stay indoors and exercise caution.
“I’m always apprehensive, but I’m not going to say I’m worried,” John Rahaim, Director of Homeland Security said. “I’m not going to worry about something until it happens, but be prepared folks.”
Even after the destruction and the unknown ahead, Fernandez considers his family to be some of the lucky ones.
“We were very fortunate that God kept us safe,” Fernandez said.
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