I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005

By the time the Tuckers escape to the roof, the water has risen to the attic level. Roddy instructs everyone to stay together. When Barry emerges onto the roof, the rain and wind sting his face “like a million bees” (42). The family lays on the roof huddled together and just as Barry begins to feel calmer, a loud thud echoes against the roof. Cleo jumps up, wondering if Akivo has arrived. The wind pushes her forward, nearly knocking her down, but Barry jumps up and grabs her, Roddy helping to pull Cleo back to safety. Before Barry can rejoin his family, another strong gust of wind knocks him off the roof and into the water.

A tide of water sweeps Barry again, and he struggles to keep his head above water. The water drags him along until he runs into a tree, which he latches onto tightly. Barry pulls himself up the trunk of the tree until he reaches the top and surveys the landscape around him, which is entirely engulfed in water.

He begins screaming out his family’s names, but only the wind responds. Then, a shadow looms over him and Barry looks up to see a house pushing through the water toward him.