New Orleans Family Stranded in NH

Tonight a New Orleans family of three will sleep at a Concord hotel.

Originally they had planned on spending only a long weekend in the Capitol region.

That was five days ago.

Now, as New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports, they aren't sure when they'll go home.

Sherri Zeller, Eric O'Bell and their eight-month old Olivia came to Concord to visit Zeller's sister.

That name might sound familiar.

Her sister is Shay Zeller Host of the Front Porch on NHPR.

O'Bell says his family was just supposed to be in Concord for a few days.

T.4
2:20 we were in White Park on Saturday when we got a call from my mother-in-law and she said I don't want to alarm you, but there is a category 5 hurricane in the gulf and it's coming straight for NO.

The couple had gone through hurricanes before.

They recall nights in hotels, waiting for the storm to hit, only to see it pass by.

But what made those hurricanes different than Katrina was that this time they didn't have a chance to grab their computers, the important documents, or their family photo albums.

T.7
11:25 Saturday I was thinking how terrible it would be if we had some roof damage. And then on Monday, I was thinking how terrible it would be if water got in our house. And then by Wed, it was how terrible if looters came through and inflicted human damage, you know....

O'Bell and Zeller say they have built a nice life in the Crescent City.

O'Bell is an attorney, who just opened up his own practice this year.

Zeller, a New Orleans native, left a higher education job to raise their daughter.

T.9
4:58 we don't have her pictures, we don't have anything from our house, except a few sets of clothes and just supplies we needed for three days, and some toys we needed to keep her from aggravating other passengers on the plane...and I would just give anything to go back.

T.3
1:15...we left to go on vacation, and closed the door to our house and thought, a few things I had to do when I got back. I had to get my drivers license. Lost it somewhere in the house. I don't know if we'll have a house when we get back.. it's...ah...can I have a second...

T.1
2:35 ....Right now as we are sitting here, I told Sherri, we are watching buildings burn, and my office is a few offices away from where flames are engulfing the building and there is nothing we can do. It's a helpless feeling.

With the status of their home so uncertain, Zeller and O'Bell have wasted no time to go back to their city.

The couple is frantically trying to buy a house somewhere in the New Orleans region.

....We know from our officials there is no living in that parish for at least 30 days, so you have to make other living arrangements...that's why we are looking at a place in the area.

They've relied on the internet and word of mouth to find a home that seems adequate.

They placed a bid for one- that advertised a swing in the yard and dry conditions- only to have the seller come back and ask for an additional ten thousand dollars.

The young couple is pooling their money with Zeller's parents and hoping.

T.7
1:00 families are going to go back the way they lived 100 years ago. We will be having Sherri's family come back and join us. I'm hearing other stories about families that are going to have uncles, mothers, brothers, grandparents, everyone living in homes together, b/c there is no where else to go. To live.

For the time being, the family will be living at the Centennial Inn in Concord.

When inn keeper Jason Jones realized the family was staying with him, he wanted to help.

T.12
2:25 you see that little girl and you say, you know what, we should be able to take care of them at any cost, and that's what we will do, whatever is in our power.

Jones, who served in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch, says the family is welcome to stay as long as necessary at no charge.

Zeller says she and her husband are in shock.

Even the baby, she says, is getting less sleep- seemingly affected by the stress and shouts overheard on the cable news reports.

O'Bell says he's experiencing a little vertigo.

T.6
1:34 we are here, we are sitting in this room, talking, business is going on, it's a beautiful day, someone is cutting grass outside. We are living in two different worlds. And I look at the tv, and I see our other world being torn apart. And we don't know when we can go back.

For NHPR News, I'm DG.