One couple's: cleaning up six months after Katrina

February 28, 2006

ARABI, La. -- Everything is still wet in Lois Ledet's home in St.

Bernard Parish. Her hammer slams through wet, moldy wallboard, her

carpet still squishes under her feet.

She wears two dust masks in hopes of staving off the mold in the air.

" It burns down my throat when I breathe. I get lots of headaches but

I have to keep going, " she says.

Hurricane Katrina ripped through her home six months ago and Lois is

determined to clean up the mess. Lois, 57, and her husband Leonce,

66, fled to Tennessee two days before the storm. It took them three

weeks to get back, and when they did, they found a nightmare: their

home had been flooded to the roof line with salt water; their car

had floated around the block.

" People you used to see they're gone. Everything you thought was

good, you touch it and it fell apart, " says Leonce.

On a trash pile in front of the house is a dinette set that had been

left to them by Leonce's mother.

" It's the only thing I had from her, " says Leonce.

Lois worries about Leonce entering the house because of the mold. He

had liver surgery a little while back and she is afraid it will make

him sick. So she does the work.

" I go in there and work until my arms don't work anymore. I work

until they won't raise up, " she said.

Lois insists that they are lucky. " We are much better off than most

people. Their lives are gone. Their families are gone. There is no

way to get it back. I just thank God everyday that I'm here and I'm

alive and able to do something. "

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