Twelve years ago, the city of New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of people died as a result, and caused billions of dollars worth of damage to the city.
Thousands more New Orleans natives fled to Houston following Katrina. Many stayed in Texas, and are now dealing with the after effects of another devastating hurricane.
Just over two weeks removed from Hurricane Harvey, the storm has already been attributed to 70 deaths, and experts forecast that the damage caused by the storm will far surpass Katrina's devastation.
Now, the city of New Orleans is opening its doors and hearts to the city of Houston, just as Houston did over a decade ago. New Orleans ran the following full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle on Sunday.
Both the wife and I got a little moist-eye reading this full-page ad in this morning's @HoustonChron. Cheers to you, NOLA. pic.twitter.com/6OqGpXmYwT
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) September 10, 2017
"To our friends in Texas,
"Twelve years ago, you took in hundreds of thousands of us. You opened your homes, closets, and kitchens. You found schools for our kids and jobs to tide us over. Some of us are still there. And when the rest of the world told us not to rebuild, you told us not to listen. Keep our city and traditions alive.
"Now, no two storms are the same. Comparing rising waters is a waste of energy when you need it most. But know this - in our darkest hour, we found peace and a scorching, bright light of hope with our friends in Texas. And we hope you'll find the same in us.
"Our doors are open. Our clothes come in every size. There's hot food on the stove, and our cabinets are well-stocked. We promise to always share what we have.
"Soon, home will feel like home again, even if it seems like a lifetime away. We'll be battling for football recruits under the Friday night lights. You'll tell us to stop trying to barbeque. We'll tell you to lay off your crawfish boil and come have the real thing. But for as long as you need, we're here to help.
"The way of life you love the most will carry on. You taught us that. Your courage and care continues to inspire our whole city. We couldn't be more proud to call you our neighbors, our friends, and our family. Texas forever.
"We're with you,
"New Orleans"
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Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
