Chabad Shluchim Remain In The Storm

As Hurricane Katrina made landfall pounding New Orleans with dangerous 145 mph winds and blinding rains, not everyone managed to get out in time.

Chabad-Lubavitch representatives knew there’d be calls from those who were stuck, and for that reason, they stayed put. Lubavitch.com spoke with Rabbi Yosef Nemes, one of the Chabad representatives to New Orleans earlier today, who hunkered down in his home with people who had contacted him for assistance. “They were evacuated from local hotels and turned to us,” he said, observing that water was beginning to leak into his home as he was speaking.

While they wait for the hurricane to recede, locals can only guess at the damage they will find when the last winds die down and the rains stop. Forecasters predict between 15-20 feet of water flooding, and are calling this a “once-in-a-lifetime” hurricane for the Gulf Coast. “It’ll be a long time recovering” from the damage, said Rabbi Nemes.