On the never to be forgotten date of September 24, 2005, the worst destruction ever to strike Southwest Louisiana, Hurricane Rita, came barreling ashore, blasting everything in her path. The empty slabs where large substantial homes had once stood in Cameron Parish were examples of Rita's fury. The piles of debris which had once been banks, post offices, schools, churches and businesses, were shocking.
The first sight of this destruction seemed like a nightmare. By the second and third viewing, the mind finally accepted the devastation as real. “At least no one died,” were the key words spoken by the victims. And while it's true, no lives were lost in the actual wind and water, many deaths within the next weeks and months, especially among the elderly and ill, were blamed on the stress caused by this destruction.
This book includes photographs taken in all sections of the parishes by many different people. These pictures tell the real story that often cannot be captured in words.

Nola Mae Ross is a native and long time resident of Calcasieu Parish and has published a book entitled Hurricane Audrey, with personal accounts from the families of the 425 victim's of that holocaust on June 27, 1957. Her book about Hurricane Audrey has since become a classic, having won several writing awards. Included in the Rita book are stories from many of the same families who suffered through Hurricane Audrey, only to face more devastation in Hurricane Rita.
Ross began her writing career, 20 years ago, when she was 60, after operating McFillen Air Park for 30 years. Since then she has written 20 books, all about Southwest Louisiana.

Marcy Lee Perkins has resided in Calcasieu Parish for 40 years moving to Lake Charles with her meteorologist husband, Rod Perkins in 1966. Perkins began writing stories for her students while teaching in elementary school and published two of the stories, The Happy Hive and Buster Bat. Photography has always been her hobby and after retirement she found herself fascinated with the many computer-photo related programs. In the past three years she has been involved in the design and graphic editing of three of Ross' previous books. Perkins says, "I am especially proud of this book, as I think Nola Mae Ross has again captured and preserved history, as she did in her book, “Hurricane Audrey”.

Wise Publications

216 Pages

8.5x11 Paperback 

$25.00

Published: 2006

ISBN: 978-1-952005-85-5

Hurricane Audrey

Southwest Louisiana Veterans Remember Volume II

Airplanes for Breakfast