In 2005, Vikki Morvant helped thousands of Northshore residents share information while evacuated for Hurricane Katrina. The full story
As a public service during future hurricane warnings,
we will again open a section of our message boards to
everyone, with no passwords, no registrations.
They are not visible when there is no hurricane threat.
Boards are organized by neighborhoods – please post in the appropriate section so that your information can be most helpful and more easily found.
Excerpts from the Katrina board 2005:
Tornado in Meadowbrook?
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I read a post where someone mentioned a tornado went through the subdivision. Can someone please confirm its path? Any news on homes on Springwater Drive closest to Highway 22/190? Thanks. Take care everyone.
Real Help
Administrator
(8/31/05 2:19 am)
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Greenleaves
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please share any info here. Identify yourself and perhaps your neighbors will log on, too,
and want to contact you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Mandeville Police Dept. say that people may return to their 
subdivision so they can do repairs. They do not recommend bringing children back but if you wish to stay they will not ask you to leave. There has been very little looting. There is high evidence of neighbors returning and signs that say "you loot, we shoot". Cell phones are starting to work. As per Officer Jeff Deshuwa (?) of the Mandeville Police Dept. 9/3/05.
subdivision so they can do repairs. They do not recommend bringing children back but if you wish to stay they will not ask you to leave. There has been very little looting. There is high evidence of neighbors returning and signs that say "you loot, we shoot". Cell phones are starting to work. As per Officer Jeff Deshuwa (?) of the Mandeville Police Dept. 9/3/05. Edited by: Real Help at: 9/3/05 1:50 pm
we saw Beau Chene
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My husband and son did drive to Beau Chene yesterday and found lots of damage. Our home has a tree through the back roof, broken windows and 6 large trees down. We are driving back today back to Mandeville today to try to minimize any further damage and hopefully help some neighbors.
Beth Zima
Unregistered User
(8/31/05 7:41 am)
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BBrown
Unregistered User
(9/1/05 7:40 pm)
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doug1105
Unregistered User
(8/31/05 1:51 pm)
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Just got back
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The entrance looks as if a bomb went off. There is a lot of damage towards the front of the subdivision, but I did not see any destroyed homes. The damage lessens as you go towards Spanish Moss. (I didn'e get a chance to go thru the Lakes).
People are returning and the Walgreens was open today.
I had phones and water (on Woodmere Drive).
Hope this helps.
Dymphna10
Registered User
(8/31/05 2:36 pm)
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Cov Country Club condition
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A friend from River Oaks (the neighborhood just north of Riverwood below I-12) stayed and weathered the storm and all are ok - traumatized but ok. She was in Baton Rouge buying supplies and had cell connection from there. She says that at this time Covington Country Club appears to be impassable. Trees and power lines are still in the way and it looks like a war zone. Her house is ok because the front of her house faces the north and the strongest winds were coming out of the north. The trees in her back and side yard all snapped backwards. Knowing the direction your home faces might give you an indication of damage.
Home on the Northshore
> Specific Mand/Cov locations & subdivisions
kzgreen
Unregistered User
(9/1/05 4:47 am)
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FOX RUN DRIVE
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Fox Run reportedly did well in the storm. Many, many trees and powerlines down, but little obvious house damage. One house in the first cul-de-sac reportedly had a tree down on the house in the backyard, but so far that is the only apparent house damage report. I will try to report more information as I receive it.
mimifitz
Unregistered User
(9/1/05 8:07 am)
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pine dr ccc
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hi
we have a relative that stayed in lake wood heights mand. he checked out our home we have been spared no tree damage to home however trees down every where ... hope your homes are ok too
God Bless
mimi fitz
Real Help
Administrator
(9/1/05 11:05 pm)
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from BMZIMA
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8-31-2005
We drove into Beau Chene today to assess the damage and it was much worse than I had anticipated based on the pictures my husband took yesterday. Covington, and Mandeville are pretty much of a ghost town. No cars were being allowed past a point just east of the Hwy 22 Beau Chene gate.
We started some clean-up, but it will take days and weeks.
We still haven't figured out how to begin to get the huge tree out of our roof -
I hope everyone stays safe!
RachelMorvant
Registered User
(9/1/05 3:19 pm)
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Re: Map of subdivisions
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Here are some more photos I found of many different areas in Mandeville.
www.fallenempire.com/katrina2005/
Rachel Morvant
Linda LaRocca
Unregistered User
(9/2/05 9:37 am)
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Arrow Wood
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My neighbor at 416 Choctaw sent their son into Arrow Wood and checked on their house. Their house seems to be okay. My house at 409 Choctaw seems to be okay also. Fences are down and trees, of course, are down.
Real Help
Administrator
(8/30/05 11:24 pm)
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Beau Chene
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please share info by replying to this thread
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Mandeville Police Dept. say that people may return to their subdivision so they can do repairs. They do not recommend bringing children back but if you wish to stay they will not ask you to leave. There has been very little looting. There is high evidence of neighbors returning and signs that say "you loot, we shoot". Cell phones are starting to work. As per Officer Jeff Deshuwa (?) of the Mandeville Police Dept. 9/3/05.
Edited by: Real Help at: 9/3/05 1:21 pm
indyfamily
Unregistered User
(8/31/05 10:42 pm)
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34 Catalpa Trace
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I have family members at 34 Catalpa Trace. They have evacuated but are anxious to know if their neighborhood and home is okay.
Anyone know??
Any news is welcome. Thanks!
Aspen Lane
Unregistered User
(9/2/05 4:53 am)
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Northpark
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Northpark as a whole had minor damage relative to other areas. The neighborhood was not flooded, but we did not drive through the whole neighborhood. We drove from Selma, AL to Covington with no problems. Some homes had shingles blown off the roof. Many trees were blown down, but most did not hit homes. We had at least 7 trees fall, but they all fell away from the house. Our fence was destroyed but the house is okay. Saw one house with a tree leaning on the roof, but the tree did not go through the roof. Sorry I didn't go your street.
mindygb
Unregistered User
(9/6/05 12:14 am)
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northpark
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Northpark now has electricity, my husband arrived there today. We are on the same grid as the hospital so got power really quick. Also, wal mart is open, gas at shell station and Home depot is open.
Riddle
Unregistered User
(9/2/05 11:46 am)
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where is everyone?
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Riddles: Brunelles went back into subdivision with a generator on Tuesday. Heard lots of trees down but most seemed to miss the houses. Most fences down. 2 houses across from pool hit by trees-one really bad. Haven't been able to contact them since Tuesday. Where is everyone? We just registered the kids in school in Northwest Houston.
sptracy2
Unregistered User
(9/11/05 1:39 pm)
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hello riddles!!!
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Hey guys, it is Tracy Lyle, your old neighbor. Just saw your post. You may have the info by now! Your house was okay--trampoline was not! St. Tammany school starts on October 3rd-they will be picking up where left off. We just got electriciy today in woodlands so hopefully soon in hunter's glen. fema will soon be picking up cut up trees and debris from curbside---thank goodness. all is well-hope you guys are--tracy
Loretta
Unregistered User
(9/2/05 10:32 pm)
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Mandeville – Quail Creek
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We live on Sycamore at the end close to Olvey. Our house has 2 branches in two different places in the roof. Most houses seem ok. No flood damage. My husband has clear cell phone signal tonight and I can reach him. Also, he said some businesses along Florida and a gas station have lights. All new light posts and phone posts are up along Florida. Hang in there! We'll all be home soon!
Real Help
Administrator
(9/4/05 11:12 pm)
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Re: neighbors
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I did not go over to the Hwy 59 area, but we had no difficulty coming from I-12 down Hwy 190, past Meadowbrook, onto Montgomery St in Old Mandeville.
I visited my real estate listings in Woodstone, Tall Timbers (power is on there !!!! ), Westwood, Beau Chene. No problem driving through.
Vikki Morvant
tttg
Unregistered User
(9/5/05 6:10 pm
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Monterey
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I want around and took Photos of some of the Bad houses.
Click on: View Photos without signing in -
www.kodakgallery.com/Shar...5506238203
George Cavallo
Loretta
Unregistered User
(9/6/05 10:30 pm)
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Winn Dixie open
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Winn Dixie at I-12 and 59 is open, as is Walgreen's. Quail Creek had trash pickup today. Things are looking up!
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What happened in 2005?
During Katrina, hundreds of people googled specific neighborhoods on the Northshore and found my websites, flooding me with emails asking for information and help. I already had community message boards set up for 64 subdivisions, and decided to strip off the passwords to allow the public full access into the boards. We asked people to help each other to spread information.
My national network of 20,000 tech savvy real estate agents spread the word about my sites and then realtor.com picked up the story, sending it into the inbox of more than 1,000,000 Realtors
Evacuees were able to share and to find info on their specific subdivision of the Mandeville/ Covington area.
I also set up a message board to find our fellow agents. I am a co-owner of the Keller Williams Gulf States region with offices from Lafayette, LA to Panama City, FL. Keller Williams International learned of my efforts and flew me to headquarters in Austin to serve with the Katina task force and find every single one of our agents.
I was recognized for my work, which included one special moment where I went into Meadowbrook subdivision to reunite an elderly man with his son who was in San Diego. At the 2006 convention for Cyberstar Real Estate agents, I received an award as Humanitarian of the Year for using my real estate tech savvy for the benefit of my community.
What are the message boards on the internet?
Ordinarily, they are just a side feature on each and every one of the subdivision sites that I use for real estate business. They are password protected so that only true residents of that subdivision have access, and we share information about current property values, and teenagers can post ads for baby sitting jobs, etc.
But for Katrina, and every future evacuation, we opened a section of the boards so that anyone and everyone could post messages and read messages without passwords or registrations.
How are they different from the boards at WWL or the Times Picayune?
Those boards serve nearly a million viewers. Ours are smaller, and are organized around neighborhoods. When people google a subdivision, they usually find us.
