| NEWS
| SEPTEMBER 23, 2005
No Escape
After fleeing from one storm,
this former Tulane student is tired of hurricanes
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| The Shorthorn: Andrew Campbell |
| English senior Karie Meltzer
recently transferred from Tulane University after
Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. Meltzer’s
grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are now forced
to flee Houston and seek refuge at her father’s
residence due to Hurricane Rita. |
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By Heather
Ann White
The Shorthorn staff
English senior Karie Meltzer has decided that she hates hurricanes.
Meltzer, who evacuated from Tulane just three days before Hurricane
Katrina hit, is now welcoming her family members from Houston who
are attempting to escape the Category 4 Hurricane Rita, which is
expected to hit the Texas coast today.
Meltzer said that she has 11 family members from the Houston area,
and seven of them will be staying with her at her dad’s house
in Arlington. Her grandparents arrived Wednesday night after an
eight-hour drive.
“My 85-year-old grandma drove the whole way,” she said.
“They never stopped the whole time. They were very determined
to get here before the traffic.”
Meltzer said that neither of her grandparents have been through
a hurricane, but they came prepared, loading their SUV with food
and supplies for the whole family, including pillows, toilet paper,
frozen food and various meats.
“The only thing they were sad about not bringing were their
family photos,” she said. “I guess they just didn’t
think about it.”
Meltzer said she also has an uncle who works for NASA who will remain
in Houston to be with his girlfriend and four pets.
She said that she is happy that most of her family is evacuating,
but she can’t believe it’s only been three weeks since
she evacuated her own apartment.
“It’s just frustrating, feeling like you don’t
have control over anything,” she said. “I’m sad
because a whole new group of people may go through what people in
New Orleans went through.”
Even though everyone will be driving north this weekend, Meltzer
planned on driving south to attend Austin’s City Limits Music
Festival. She has had her $100 ticket for six months and planned
on meeting friends from Tulane.
Meltzer said her family is trying to discourage her from going to
the concert due to the weather, but she is unsure of whether or
not she will go.
“I just wanted to be with my friends and catch up this weekend,”
she said. “I hate hurricanes, that’s my conclusion.”
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