Storm Tossed

Read Kruse’s story: PORT RICHEY – At 3:49, in the driver’s seat, Laurene Warner opened her eyes and wiped her face. She yawned. She lit a cigarette. The glowing tip was a brief bit of light. Jake Warner woke up in the passenger seat. “I gotta go to the bathroom,” Laurene told him. She climbed out of the little Daewoo, put her black purse over her shoulder and walked toward the 24-7 Wal-Mart Supercenter. The husband and wife, 46 and 50, respectively, moved from here to Bayou La Batre, Ala., two weeks before Hurricane Katrina raked the town. After that, they say, they went from Alabama to Massachusetts, from Massachusetts to North Carolina, from North Carolina to South Carolina, and finally came back here about a month and a half ago. Katrina did lots of things. One of them: It took the struggling and made them desperate.

Jake Warner woke up in the passenger seat.

“I gotta go to the bathroom,” Laurene told him.

She climbed out of the little Daewoo, put her black purse over her shoulder and walked toward the 24-7 Wal-Mart Supercenter.

The husband and wife, 46 and 50, respectively, moved from here to Bayou La Batre, Ala., two weeks before Hurricane Katrina raked the town. After that, they say, they went from Alabama to Massachusetts, from Massachusetts to North Carolina, from North Carolina to South Carolina, and finally came back here about a month and a half ago.

Katrina did lots of things. One of them: It took the struggling and made them desperate.


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