USM senior who lost everything will have many stories to tell his students

By Charmaine Williams
After Katrina Newswire

VANCLEAVE — After leaving his job late on the afternoon of Aug. 28, 2005, as Hurricane Katrina approached the Gulf Coast, Lucas Schmermund stopped by his beachfront apartment to throw a few articles of clothing into his truck. He had spent most of the day securing his place of employment for the upcoming storm and like many others he was not fully aware of what was in store for those living along the coastline in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.

Schmermund, a senior at the University of Southern Mississippi 's Gulf Coast campus, had lived in his apartment for two years. The apartment, located above the garage behind his grandfather's house, had survived many hurricanes that had passed through the Mississippi Gulf Coast . Although local residents always took precaution to board windows, few actually understood the enormity of the tidal surge rolling in from the Gulf of Mexico .

Schmermund had spent that Sunday at Smokey's Discount Tobacco in Orange Grove, where he had worked for nearly four years. It was customary before any storm to board the windows and prepare the store for several days without power. Because of the throngs of people purchasing tobacco products and beer, the store was unable to close as the employees had expected. Schmermund was planning to seek shelter from the storm at a friend's home in Vancleave, only 20 miles from the Gulf waters.

Immediately after leaving Smokey's, Schmermund arrived at his apartment to find that his grandfather had boarded his apartment along with the house. Schmermund took less than half an hour to gather a few clothes and his laptop, and then he secured several items before leaving. He didn't worry about flooding because his apartment was above the garage, so he left behind all pictures and important documents and headed to Vancleave.

On Monday, the storm inflicted horrific damage to the Coast, devastating everything in its path as it unleashed power unmatched in centuries. Schmermund rode out the storm and then began the process of trying to put the pieces back together.

The next days were filled with disbelief and worry for him. His family lived throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast , the majority of them residing between the railroad tracks and the beachfront along the Coast. With the phone lines down and cell phones unable to complete calls, Schmermund had no way of getting in contact with any of his family members. He repeatedly tried to call his mother, who stayed in her apartment in Biloxi during the storm.

Risking the possibility of going to jail, Schmermund and his employer decided to check on four of the Smokey's stores only hours after the storm made landfall. Schmermund and his boss first checked the store on Division Street in Biloxi ; it was heavily damaged. Not only had the storm caused damage, but so did the many looters.

"It was crazy," Schmermund said. "We only drove by the store at first and shined a flashlight at the windows. People were gathered outside trying to see what they could get from the store. Because the window was made of some sort of plastic, the people could only bend it to an extent, making a small hole. Since they couldn't fit, they were putting their children in the store and telling them to grab the cases of beer and saturated cigarette packs. After we shined the flashlight they all scattered like cockroaches."

When Schmermund returned with his employer the next day, the store was a mess. The damage, however, was not caused by the children fumbling through the products. The store had filled up with water all the way to the ceiling, causing everything inside to float. The water was from the city's backed-up sewage, so the store smelled horrific, and it was then Schmermund and his employer realized that the products that were taken from the store would be harmful if consumed. While there, Schmermund walked several streets down to his aunt's home; he spoke with several of his family members and found that his mother was fine, as was her apartment.

"I didn't know what to think with everything that was said over the radio," Schmermund said. "I could only imagine what my family must be going through. Luckily, I found out that even though there was extensive property damage, everyone in my family was alive."

He wanted badly to hear about the condition of his apartment and his grandfather's home. Although he suspected the damage would be bad because of reports on news broadcasts, he still hoped that some homes would be standing.

Two weeks after the storm, Schmermund, after gathering enough fuel, tried to go to his apartment. He was able to get within a block away, but military police refused to let him pass without proper documentation. Finally, after days of phone calls and being redirected, Schmermund stood on the property where his apartment once was. Nothing was left.

After looking at all the damage, Schmermund found part of his wood floor attached to some pieces of the wall. It was almost two houses away on someone else's property. He found several of his belongings, which included a belt that was wrapped tightly around a tree limb, a pair of boxers he received from the previous Valentine's Day and a pair of jeans that were still good after being washed.

Schmermund's workplace fared better. The store survived the hurricane's winds and looters. In the days following the storm, Schmermund, along with several other employees, opened the store for customers.

"Working at the store was good for getting my mind off of everything that was going on. There was no power at the store, so we had to set up a table at the door, run around getting what people wanted and sell the items without a cash register," Schmermund said. "It was hot and we only had hot beer and drinks, but people were lining up to buy it anyway."

Approximately two months following the storm's landfall, Schmermund filed with FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, to receive funds and find temporary housing. He did not have insurance because he was renting from his grandfather, and FEMA promised to provide assistance. Six months have passed since Schmermund filed with FEMA and he has yet to hear any news on a camper for temporary housing.

Schmermund has met many times with FEMA agents, but no one has yet provided a straightforward answer to his request for temporary housing. He has been living with his brother in Jackson County .

He returned to USM Gulf Coast as soon as classes were back in session and will graduate in December with a degree in history and secondary education. He will have many stories to tell his students about the wrath of Katrina.