British survivor tells of her living hell among dead bodies and gangs of gunmen
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.In an emotional reunion with her family in Britain, the 20-year-old university student from Pontyclun in south Wales described the scene in the city as a living hell where she survived among dead bodies and men toting guns in the hours after the flood.
"It was absolutely terrifying and I feared for my life, said Ms Andrews. She was among a number of British survivors returning home, many of whom had, only 24 hours earlier, been feared dead in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Foreign Office said yesterday that 96 Britons were still missing.
Ms Andrews, who was working for Camp America, took refuge on the 17th floor of a hotel as the hurricane blew in its windows. "We just lay down in the corridors as these thick white clouds just closed in on us. It was hell," she said.
"We went to a convention centre where the National Guard was based but they just turned us away and said we would have to fend for ourselves," she said.
She slept on a 30ft high covered walkway before being rescued by a television crew four days later. "There were dead bodies, including babies, all over the streets and armed looters running around. The smell was awful. It was like a horror movie."
Another survivor, Penny Rounce, 22, was evacuated to Dallas. Her mother, Ruth Rounce, said she had been trapped in the New Orleans Superdrome and became a victim of the intense racial tensions developing there. "Bottles were being thrown at her," she said.
Many relatives have still not heard from their loved ones since the storm ravaged the city. Mike Noone, 51, a Nasa scientist, who moved to live near New Orleans with his family, is still missing.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments