Evacuee built new life in Fairhope

FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WALA) - Angela Knight says she visits her family in New Orleans often, but she's still too afraid to ever move back to the city where she was born. The Hurricane Katrina survivor now lives on the Eastern Shore.

Knight is a health care worker who was scheduled to work at the hospital on August 29, 2005. When the storm hit New Orleans, Knight couldn't get to her job. She and 16 members of her family ended up at the Superdome where they spent four terrifying days.

"It took a lot of faith to get through what we went through in the Superdome," said Knight

She said there were times she didn't think she would survive. They were surrounded by fighting, shootings and the smell of bodies and human waste. By mid-September, Knight was in Alabama where she started to build a new life.

"Because my family and I came here after Katrina and the Pantry provided food for us, that's been my mission," Knight said.

Knight shares her story with churches and faith-based organizations to raise money for the Food Pantry.

"The Pantry to me is very important. I solely depended on the Pantry for food when we first came here. It was strangers that came in and supportted us. So each year I support a fundraiser to try to put food in the pantry."

Knight said most of her family has returned to New Orleans.

"They're doing fine. It's still a struggle. Things haven't gotten back to the way they were. I don't think they'll ever be the same or the way it was before, but it's still home."

But she said she'll never live there again.