Three years ago today, Hurricane Katrina battered the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coastlines with Category 3 winds and a storm surge that breached the levees in New Orleans. The next day we watched helplessly as our television screens showed the first images of floodwaters invading New Orleans block by block. Like so many others, I didn't know anyone in the region but felt compelled to help.
At the same time, Keller Williams was holding their quarterly Mega Camp in Austin, Texas. The response to this catastrophic event was swift. A message board was set up online to help market centers communicate with their agents and staff. Donations poured into KW Cares, and KW leadership worked non-stop to create the Heart 2 Heart program. I was the Heart Specialist for the Green Valley office - the main point of contact for our assigned agent from Metairie, LA.
With Gustav poised to move into the Gulf this weekend, I think of all of the Gulf Coast agents that I know from ActiveRain and social networking. This time it's much more personal. I think of Eric Bouler's photos of the French Quarter, and his love for LSU football. Amber Riviere gave us some great tips as a virtual assistant, and shared her experiences as she worked to get her real estate license. Paul Chaney, co-author of Realty Blogging, mentored Ines Hegedus-Garcia during Project Blogger. The spirit and culture of New Orleans can be found thoroughout Lisa Heindel's blog.
Frank Rubi, Lindsay Pendleton and Michelle Molinari are familiar names from the Rain. I follow MarkMayhew, pchaney and lisaheindel on Twitter. Jim Brown, Paul Chaney, Mike Deloney, Lisa Heindel, Chris Johnston, Rene Manfre, Jeanne Quinn and Amber Riviere are all LinkedIn connections.
To everyone in the Gulf Coast, our thoughts and prayers are with you this holiday weekend. Know that you will not face this storm alone, that hundreds of online communities will be there to help and support you. Be strong, be smart, and be safe!
(Image from www.noaa.gov and is in the public domain.)
