When Hurricane Katrina rolled into New Orleans on August 29, 2005, the storm left an indelible scar on the culture, history, and people of the Crescent City. Superstorm Sandy caused close to 1,400 fatalities and at least $100 billion in damage. Jasmine Batiste and Jeremy Tauriac, two of those survivors, were just accepted into A Better Course’s first cohort. As children, their experiences had a powerful impact on the course of their lives. Today, they share their story of childhood adversity and trauma and how it shaped their journey into adulthood.
Jasmine Batiste, who was only nine years old when the hurricane struck. As she describes the terror that seized her household when the waters started to rise, you can feel the anxiety return to her household. For three harrowing days, Jasmine and her family were pinned down in their home by disaster, holding onto dreams of rescue while drowning in despair.
“The water is at our feet. It’s at the bottom of the first step. It’s coming in, and I’m just asking my momma, ‘Are we going to be OK? I’m a 9-year-old child. ‘Are we going to be OK?’” – Jasmine Batiste
Three days later, they were finally reached by a rescue helicopter, a channel of hope in an unpredictable storm. The sense of relief was palpable, yet it soon morphed into apprehension at the unknowns that awaited.
“I was just so grateful that we had got rescued, and I was just like, what’s next? What’s life after this?” – Jasmine Batiste
Jeremy Tauriac, who was 11 years old at the time of the storm, faced his own challenges in the aftermath of Katrina. For him, the hurricane made him grow up very quickly, as he moved through an unfamiliar world without all that made home, home. Today, photography is Jeremy’s professional career—a full-time endeavor that he built after developing his love for the craft in the years following the hurricane.
Unlike Jeremy’s dark and destructive path, Jasmine was inspired, guided, and saved by music. As she matured, she began to heal through music. Now 29 years old, Jasmine serves as the assistant band director at a local high school in New Orleans, where she aims to inspire young musicians.
“Everybody who was my age, all the ‘Katrina babies,’ we went through the same thing because it was just like, in the twinkle of an eye, our lives changed,” – Jasmine Batiste
Both survivors know the indelible effects of their experiences. Jasmine recalls some of the hesitancy she experienced about going back to school after being displaced.
“I didn’t want to go to school. My house is not even there. Why do I need to come to school?” – Jasmine Batiste
Jeremy agrees with this sentiment, adding that trauma will follow most young survivors due to emotional scars that come from the trauma they experienced. He reminds them about the need for healing and facing their past.
“We have trauma to heal from. We have wires to untangle mentally,” – Jeremy Tauriac
Even though both Jasmine and Jeremy have gone through trials, they are both still firmly established in the New Orleans community. Their stories are a powerful testament to resilience and the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity. By sharing their experiences, they aim to raise awareness of the lasting impacts that natural disasters have on the lives of children.
