The Long Road Home: A Family’s Journey After Katrina

On August 28, 2005, as Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans, Darren (12), Darrell Jr. (13), and Darremika Tillery (14) evacuated with twenty friends and family, heading to Houston. Their mother, a hardworking single parent, paid for a hotel but soon realized they needed more stability. She made the difficult decision to leave the group and move to Dallas, only to find the road ahead was lonelier and more challenging than expected.

By October 1st, the family returned to Houston, still struggling to adjust. In New Orleans, their mother had worked twelve-hour shifts while ensuring her kids stayed active in football, basketball, track, boxing, and baseball. She also volunteered at their schools and mentored children of incarcerated parents. But in Houston, despite all her efforts, the same level of involvement proved impossible.

Losing Their Foundation

The kids, once engaged in sports and school, found themselves disconnected. Their academic performance suffered, and their mother feared they might get caught up in the wrong crowd. The safety net of familiar teachers, coaches, and community leaders was gone, leaving them vulnerable.

Unable to find affordable housing in post-Katrina New Orleans, their mother had no choice but to commute back and forth for work, splitting her time between two cities and exhausting herself in the process. Meanwhile, Pastor Leona Fisher provided guidance and counseling, trying to help the family navigate their new reality.

A Constant Struggle

Despite their mother’s determination and the pastor’s support, rebuilding a life in Houston never felt right. The kids did their best, but the emotional and psychological toll was undeniable. Displacement had taken more than their home—it had taken their sense of belonging.

They longed for New Orleans, the only place that ever felt like home. Their mother held on, doing everything she could to keep them afloat, but deep down, she knew what they wanted most: to return.

For the Tillery family, life after Katrina has been about survival. No matter how far they’ve traveled, their hearts remain on what lead them on the road back home.