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Nischelle_Turner's Blog

by Nischelle_Turner from West LA

Last Post 30 days, 1 hour Ago


Good Wednesday Morning Everyone....

     I usually post blogs on Thursday but today I wanted to post a special blog.  People ask me all the time about Hurricane Katrina and it's aftermath.  They ask me what it was like being there and going through it.  And they ask me do I remember.  Do I remember?  I will never forget...I will never forget the first body I saw just laying on the side of the road..the first baby I saw crying because they were so hungry and their parents had no food..the first time I saw people ransacking stores and groceries trying to get supplies to survive and I will never forget the faces and the human spirit.  I won't forget neighbors helping neighbors...I won't forget how I felt when I saw friends and knew they were okay...I'll never forget having to tell other friends that their homes were destroyed and that they had to rebuild their lives.  I won't forget not sleeping for almost two weeks and living on the 10 freeway in an Impala...I won't forget how it felt to hear my mothers voice on the phone after not being able to reach her for a week...and I won't forget how my partner Greg Montemurro jumped into the fray of that with me full steam ahead and was a good enough person to understand I was really going through it.  I won't forget how he knew when I wanted to talk and when i wanted to be left alone...when i needed a hug and when I needed a laugh..that got me through it.  And I especially won;t forget the response, or lack thereof, on every level; local, state, and most definitely federal....no I won't EVER forget...and neither should you.

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Member Comments Total Comments: 54
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lsmithtiger
Aug 29, 2007 | 8:04 AM

they ask me the same so i tell them it come ,but not done yet. i good back as much as i can .. big lee

ddain read my blog view my photos
Aug 29, 2007 | 9:27 AM

Good blog Nischelle. I guess we'll have to wait for the next major disaster in this country to see if any of our government officials learned from their mistakes after Katrina.

I really don't have the confidence in them...so here's hoping nothing bad in this country happens again, because I doubt the governments at any level will step in and help.

Dmack
Aug 29, 2007 | 9:41 AM

Great blog. I would hope that no one would ever forget what happend. You were right there in the trenches and I can't imagine what you went thru seeing as N.O. is your city and your neighborhood. You are and were very strong and those of us one the west coast are proud to have such a strong sistah out here now to represent. God bless and keep it up.

Analisa
Aug 29, 2007 | 10:09 AM

Nischelle, WOW! I remember watching you report on Katrina and thinking how brave and strong you were. I was sickened at how our country responded to this tragedy! To see what the people had to go through was, to say the least, heartbreaking. You put yourself out there for us and I thank you for that. Your reporting on Katrina brought it home for me. You are a tremendous reporter and I too will NEVER forget. Have a great day! Keep up the great work!!

cee8172 read my blog view my photos
Aug 29, 2007 | 10:26 AM

DAMN, THAT WAS HEAVY!! JUST KNOW THAT YOU MADE IT THREW,AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE ALL GOOD FROM THIS POINT! GOOD,REAL PEOPLE ALWAYS OVERCOME NO MATTER WHAT THEY HAVE TO ENDURE! I REALLY DON'T KNOW YOU TO SAY THIS,BUT I'M SORRY FOR WHAT YOU HAD TO GO THREW.... BUT GUESS WHAT YOUR STILL SUCCESSFUL MAYBE EVEN MORE SO,AND I'M SURE YOUR HEART IS OPEN AND UNDERSTANDING TO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS NOW AS A RESULT OF WHAT YOU WITH THREW,AND AGAIN I ASSURE YOU THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME FOR YOU! CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD,YOUR SPECIAL AND I'M NOT TOO MUCH INTO GOD,BUT I KNOW THAT HE'S USING YOU FOR HIS PURPOSE,AND WITH THAT BEING SAID YOU WILL CONTINUE TO BE BLESSED! TYOUR LIKE ONE OF THE WARRIORS IN THE BIBLE,YOU'VE BEEN THREW THE STORM AND BACK WITH A STORY TO TELL THAT WILL TOUCH PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD! SO I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO WANT A BOOK AND SHARE YOUR STORY!!


KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!! WE LOVE U,AND YOUR AN EXCELLENT REPORTER.....

cee8172 read my blog view my photos
Aug 29, 2007 | 10:28 AM

my badd your life will never be the same!! ooops for the typo....

OClee read my blog
Aug 29, 2007 | 10:52 AM

Nischelle - you rock! I watched you cover that with such sensitivity to the situation and very professional. You have brought a lot of class to GDLA. Keep it up! OClee

Shans-Deb read my blog view my photos
Aug 29, 2007 | 11:59 AM

Nischelle,
I liked you before Katrina, but I gained a great amount of respect for you during those hard days you went through. You touch many lives in ways you could never imagine, just because you are you. At the time of Katrina, even though I knew you were in a better and safer place than many people in Katrina’s wake, I wanted to scoop you up and keep you under my protective wing. You have great courage to have gone through everything that you did, in order to keep us in Los Angeles informed.
My niece has made several trips from Los Angeles to New Orleans since Katrina in order to help with the clean-up and rebuilding. Our household has assisted in the funding of her trips. And on her next trip out there, (it is already on her calendar) she will be accompanied by her younger brother. She is still in high school... Yet she, like you, is a shining example for the rest of us. (not that you are still in high school, you just look like you could still be in high school.) However you are both great examples of people who care and step up to do something about it. Thank you, you are an awesome reporter, a complete cutie pie and it is incredible to see what a big heart you have. Best wishes for you.

beepbeep read my blog view my photos
Aug 29, 2007 | 12:07 PM

Your hair looks like one of the girls in the band.

You've had that nice 'jew fro' eight days now...and it's holding up pretty good.

Like you...I like it.

cee8172 read my blog view my photos
Aug 30, 2007 | 8:30 AM

GOOD MORNING NISCHELLE!

YOU FIT IN WITH THA YOUNG KIDS,NOW YOU GOTTA CATCH THIS NEXT BALL,YOUR IN HILLS AND YOUR SHOWING OUT! (LAUGHS) CATCH THE NEXT BALL,SO YOU CAN PUT YOUR BOY BOB D. IN HIS PLACE! YOU GOTTA REPRESENT FOR THE LADIES NOW! THEN PUT THE VIDEO ON YOUR BLOG. YOU ROCK AS ALWAYS,SUCH A PLEASANT PERSON EARLY IN THE MORNING! I WONDER HOW YOU ACT WHEN THE CAMERA NOT ON!?? SMILES....

godzgirl read my blog view my photos
Aug 30, 2007 | 10:39 AM

This is something that no one should ever forget regardless to if they were directly involved or not. I know of several people directly involved and are still struggling to rebuild their lives. A couple have gone from good to rock bottom by coming back to California. I consistently pray for them and those where were involved and I try to continue to do what I can to help. It hurts my heart to know that I am one person hat can only do so much because the government has discontinued their means of survival because they were out of the state, or they have los family members or they are mentally unstable or whatever. I too will never forget, because that was one tragic year. Good Blog Nische...

Nanckat view my photos
Aug 30, 2007 | 12:00 PM

I was just in New Orleans in July. The town has a long way to go before it recovers. The stinch in the French Quarters if horrible still. I grew up in Louisiana and people used to joke how one day New Orleans would be underwater. It is strange it happened. It could happen again if they don't fix the problem of the dams.

Nischelle_Turner read my blog
Aug 30, 2007 | 12:02 PM

hello everyone...

thanks for all the responses....Hurricane Katrina is something I will always think about more than most people but it's good to remember those still struggling.

cee--i know, i know i didn't represent....you wonder hoe i am when the cameras are off? I'm pretty goofy and I laugh a lot...but I also like my alone time to just chill and think...I dance and sing a lot and just try to live a drama free life. People who see me in the grocery store always say they expected something different like I'm supposed to break out in a jig in the middle of the frozen food isle! :) so there I guess I am pretty calm.

blcoffman read my blog
Aug 30, 2007 | 2:02 PM

Nischelle I will never forget your great broadcasts !!But the very slow response from our government inexcusable !! You did so well awesome ! But I was so sad and angry!! That was the most embarrassing an awful thing this whole administration has ever done !!
I will never forget that !!

IndieRockGF read my blog
Aug 31, 2007 | 10:19 AM

Nischelle! I wish you would fill in for Jillian always! You're great!

craftyguy read my blog
Aug 31, 2007 | 6:59 PM

yes hurricane Katrina was devastating but look at new Orleans today its even worse since its coming back, crime is running rampant racism is at at all time high..i know people who went to new orleans after the hurricane and said it was the cleanest and safest it ever was now that the people are returning its becoming a hell hole again..the 9th district should be turned into a park its just going to go down again why waste taxpayers money to build a flood zone..yes it was a terrible tragedy and how the government responded was nothing short of a disgrace..but the truth be known why should we put an effort into a losing cause if the people who live there don't care why should we?

cee8172 read my blog view my photos
Sep 1, 2007 | 2:41 PM

HEY NISCHELLE,

I WATCH CLIPS FROM YESTERDAY'S SHOW AND YOU SEEM PRETTY CALM!!! YOUR GOING TO SEE BEYONCE ON SUNDAY NIGHT,WELL I'M SEEING HER TONIGHT IN ANAHEIM!! AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW KEYSHIA COLE'S AT HOUSE OF BLUES SUNDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT,IN WEST HOLLYWOOD!! YEA I'LL BE SEEING HER SUNDAY NIGHT! WELL I JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU A HAPPY HOLIDAY,AND AS ALWAYS YOUR GREAT FILLING IN FOR JULLIAN,BUT SHE'S MISSED BY MANY.... HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND/HOLIDAY!!!

thornyone read my blog view my photos
Sep 1, 2007 | 8:08 PM

We shoul never turn a blind eye to human suffering (or animal). I remember when you were there Nichelle. I remember you braving the terrible comditions sleeping in a car to get the news to us and I appreciate it. I appreciate your bubbly spirit and that beautiful smile. Thank You

bellker read my blog view my photos
Sep 2, 2007 | 2:19 AM

Nichelle Turner --- New Orleans was a disaster, but there are other issues going on now that are far worse.

Some times we miss what's in front of us because we are so busy living in the past. It's time to move on.

Katrina hurt more than New Orleans... did you remember that too, while you are still reflecting back on the past?

Life goes on. You have to move on with it. Do what you can for those in need and remember, since you are recalling, that more than they you speak of need help.

Food in the present day, not the past, for thought....

Nischelle_Turner read my blog
Sep 2, 2007 | 10:57 AM

good comments everyone

crafty--i hear what you are saying although I completely disagree. you should read ann simmons article in the times from saturday..maybe that will give you a perspective on what you are saying. there is a crime problem there...and there was one before the storm too....not saying new orleans is a perfect place but it is the most unique and wonderful city -I- have ever lived in that is why I am an advocate.

belker--you don;t have to remind me that others were hurt besdies New Orleans during Katrina...I lived it. I reflect but certainly don't live in the past...but i have spent the last two years working to the best of my ability to improve new orleans and the lives of my loved ones who lost everything. I don't know you, but I would dare to say if you experienced a situation in your life that changed you in so many ways you would NEVER forget it and contimue to work towards the betterment and if you wouldn't I feel sorry for you.

The body moves on the heart never forgets.

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Nischelle_Turner

Nischelle came to FOX 11 in September of 2004 and in January of 2005 became a permanent member of Good Day LA. In August of 2005 Nischelle returned to New Orleans to report on Hurricane Katrina. It was during those 14 days covering the aftermath of the storm that changed Nischelle forever. Not only did she experience personal and professional tragedy, she also saw a growth in the human spirit that will never leave her. Nischelle won numerous awards for her reporting during the storm including the California Junior Chamber of Commerce's "Outstanding Young Californian" Award.

Member Since: 7/4/2006