When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, thousands of families faced unimaginable loss and chaos. Among them was 13-year-old Emani Scott, who was forced to navigate disaster, separation, and uncertainty that would shape the rest of her life.
At the time, Emani was sheltering with her younger brother Emanuel and grandmother Jerilynn at a West Virginia military base. The family had fled their home near the French Quarter and endured harrowing days at the Moriel Convention Center before being evacuated by military helicopters.
While Emani, Emanuel, and their grandmother were flown to Camp Dawson in West Virginia, her mother and 10-month-old sister Jermani were sent to Texas.
For weeks, Emani had no idea where her mother and baby sister were. “We cried and prayed. I thought they’d find my mama and bring her to West Virginia,” Emani recalled. “When she didn’t show up and we didn’t hear anything, we got more worried.”
The family’s ordeal highlighted the difficult decisions thousands faced as limited rescue resources forced separations. Emani remembers seeing her mother and baby sister board a helicopter, assuming they would soon be reunited. Instead, it took months before they were able to reconnect by phone — and nearly two years before seeing each other in person again.
During that time, Emani and her siblings leaned on strangers and community support. A West Virginia family who learned about her story through PEOPLE magazine opened their home to Emani, her brother, and grandmother. Meanwhile, her mother, Jerilynn, struggled in Kingsville, Texas, working tirelessly to secure housing and food while raising baby Jermani.
When the family finally reunited, Jermani no longer recognized her older sister.
“She was hiding behind my mom, like, ‘Who is this lady?’” Emani said. Despite the initial awkwardness, their reunion was filled with relief and joy.
The years that followed brought more change. The family eventually moved back to New Orleans. Emani’s grandmother passed away in 2010, but her siblings thrived — Jermani is now a student at Drexel University, and Emanuel works in security at a VA hospital.
Emani herself became a teacher, earned a master’s in secondary education, and is now pursuing another degree in data analytics and program evaluation. She is also raising two daughters as a single mother.
Looking back two decades later, Emani says the story of her family is ultimately one of resilience.
“We’re strong. And if nothing else, this should be a moment that we remember that about ourselves. We’re survivors,” Emani reflects.
