The circumstances of our post-Katrina work environment were not unlike most other businesses on the northshore. We were fortunate to not suffer major damage to our building, but with no electricity, phone service or Internet access, it wasn’t sensible for our staff to return immediately following the storm. When services resumed in mid-September, we began to come back from the cities to which we had evacuated: Destin, Houston, Jackson, Miami, Hot Springs. We were thankful to be back at work again, especially considering that so many of our friends and relatives found no job waiting for them when they came home. So we set out to do what we know best—produce a magazine for our readers.

This was not an easy task. Our office phones were working, but most others were not. Electricity was erratic and unreliable. We sent e-mails out to our clients, writers and photographers, but continued to find our inboxes dreadfully empty, day after day. We soon came to realize that some of them had lost everything.

Of course, we all had our own issues to deal with at home. There were the trees to take down from our roofs, the endless debris to rake from our yards and our out-of-school kids to entertain—a few joined our staff for a few weeks! In the end, it was sheer determination that saw this issue make it to our printer, combined with the support of so many in the community who sought us out and offered their assistance. To our contributors who made Inside Northside a priority in such troubled times, and to our advertisers who made this keepsake issue possible—we send our thanks.

In the pages of this special issue, we bring to you the northshore narratives of the incredible disaster that was Hurricane Katrina, as well as the photos of our tattered landscape that has been forever altered. In gathering these stories, we came to better understand the full impact that the storm had on our beloved northshore, as well as the strength of our community’s spirit to overcome the challenge that lies ahead.

Lori Murphy and the Inside Northside Staff

p.s. Remember … when you get lemons, make lemon-aid!

Copyright 2005, M&L Publishing, all rights reserved.