USSTRATCOM Airman absorbs family fleeing Hurricane Katrina

  • Published
  • By Navy Lt. Denver Applehans
  • U.S. Strategic Command Public Affairs
Mornings at the Moten household became a little more chaotic on Labor Day as it grew from one to 10 people, but Tech. Sgt. Dorrell Moten does not mind because he knows all of his immediate family survived the hurricane.

Eight days after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Sergeant Moten, a personnel specialist at U.S. Strategic Command, welcomed nine relatives into his two-bedroom apartment here in Bellevue, Neb.

Sergeant Moten’s new roommates include his three youngest sisters Erica, Robin and Brittany; three nieces Erica, Neisha and Sarah; two nephews Tim and Rontrell; and his own daughter, Dorriell, who was living with Moten’s mother in New Orleans.

Sergeant Moten arrived at USSTRATCOM only two months ago. He was previously stationed in New Orleans as an administrative support specialist for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Tulane University.

He and his entire family are originally from New Orleans. They have weathered hurricanes before, but this one was different.

“We decided to leave for this hurricane because we knew that it was serious. We knew that a lot of houses would not stand a chance against a Category 4 hurricane. It was better safe than sorry,” said Erica, his sister.

His family left New Orleans two days before the storm when the evacuation order was issued. They drove to Baton Rouge, La., but were unable to find a hotel room, and finally ended up in a shelter in Shreveport, La., four hours to the northwest.

On Sept. 5, with the breach of the levees in New Orleans, and chances of returning home looking slimmer all the time, Sergeant Moten’s sisters decided to split up and send the younger sisters and the children to live with their brother in Nebraska. The three older sisters chose to stay with their mother and grandmother and were taken in by a family in Monroe, La.

The three younger sisters, and all of the children, piled into a Ford Exhibition to make the 15-hour drive from Shreveport, La., to Bellevue. Erica Moten, 19, the oldest of the three younger sisters, drove most of the way with a little help from Brittany, the youngest of the sisters.

“The ride was OK, because we … all have a sense of humor. But when all the talking died down … it was tiring,” said Brittany.

Sergeant Moten is grateful to the Bellevue School System which allowed him to register the eight younger children in school for the year. Erica, the oldest sister, was to start her freshman year at Southern University at New Orleans. She is still working out a plan to continue her education.

All nine evacuated with only the clothes on their backs and are working to put together school supplies and the basics needed to start living a normal life here in Bellevue. Most of the girls think living in Bellevue for a year will be all right, but said they really miss home.

The Motens are fortunate that they know all their immediate family members are safe, though they do not know the condition of their home. They hope to return to New Orleans sometime, but are prepared to stay here for the duration of the school year at a minimum.

“We really don’t have a choice. We all know that we can’t go back home,” Erica said. “I guess everybody is accepting their new life. But, we really miss home.”