Having faced the aftermath of a major storm, I know what a hurricane is capable of. Being totally disorientated while struggling down your own street is a very scarey feeling. Rita hit hard in Lake Charles. At first you will experience shock and that feeling of being totally overwhelmed. You WILL suffer at least one major meltdown -- don't deny any feelings of loss, grief, anger. Get it out. Then look around at those you love, thank God for them, and then try to pull out a sense of humor. Hard to believe, but things will get better. FEMA and the Natl Guard and the Red Cross will soon be visible. Watching our Govt in action will definitely bring a smile to your face -- lots of fun to watch (for example, how many FEMA workers does it take to spray paint a yellow spot on a tree?) There is definitely an element in our society that knows how to play the system and will "take" whatever whenever and as much as they can. I can tell your horror stories of gifts given in good faith that were sneered at as "not good enough". But on the flip side, you will receive aid from some of the most unexpected sources -- and you will develop bonds with your friends and neighbors as y'all work thru this. And no matter how bad is seems, it could be worse -- we were without power for almost 21 days, the temp outside was 112 degrees, the mosquitos were big enough to butcher and were starving, and there were 10-day-old dead fish all over my yard that attracted my dogs like magnets. The water mocossins were swimming around by the front doorjam which was an almost good thing since so were the looters. They evened each other out. But in a few months when you can look back at all this, you will be surprised at how things do get put back together. Just tell yourself, "This is all a test..." Remember, what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger. And I'm willing to bet that when all is said and done, your priorities have shifted somewhat. You're not alone, and therein lies the power and path to recovery.