When Hurricane KatrinahitNew Orleans in 2005, thousands of families faced unimaginable loss and chaos. Among them was 13-year-oldEmani 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 Virginiamilitary 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.”…