Taylor recalls heroism, villainy after Katrina

June 05--BILOXI -- Gene Taylor's voice cracked Friday as he spoke to a crowd at the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art about the heroes and a villain he encountered in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, when he helped lead recovery as a resident of Hancock County and a U.S. congressman.

Taylor, who spoke at the weekly Katrina Cafe 10th anniversary series, recalled the hard work of 13-year-old Billy Cotter. Cotter cleaned off the Stennis airport runway with a street sweeper so planes could land with emergency relief, and also operated the fuel truck, driving it and even refueling aircraft.

There was also Josh Russell of Petal, a Marine who volunteered to help clear a road so an ambulance could reach a family in Pearl River County. The job had been finished when the vehicle Russell was riding in hit storm debris, killing him.

Taylor said he couldn't brag enough about the Mississippi National Guard and military installations that came to South Mississippi's aid.

Taylor also reminded the crowd how much Sen. Thad Cochran, then -- as now -- chairman of the Appropriations Committee, meant to Mississippi in those days. Taylor said South Mississippi secured $23 billion in federal aid with Cochran as "head of the team."

Taylor had the audience laughing when he brought up sanctioned looting at the Waveland Wal-Mart, where law enforcement officers allowed survivors to pick out canned goods and changes of clothes.

The Bay St. Louis resident said FEMA was considered more of a hindrance than a help. He remembered one person from FEMA insisted they would have to wait until the Mississippi National Guard arrived to hand out food. The Mississippi Guard would be in Iraq until Christmas, Taylor pointed out. The official remained doubtful, but the food got distributed nonetheless.

"Hopefully, FEMA's gotten better," said Taylor, whose family was among the many that lost their homes. "We won't know until the next natural disaster."

Any Katrina remembrance from Taylor would be incomplete without mention of the villain: a handful of insurance companies that denied homeowner claims, trying to blame water for all the damage rather than pay wind losses their policies covered.

Taylor serves on the corporate board of a steamship company now. He said, "I'm absolutely convinced now more than ever that it was a corporate decision -- pardon my French -- to screw the people of Mississippi out of their insurance payments."

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