KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, LouisianaCars are more than toys for some Katrina survivors
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Associated Press - December 7, 2009 4:45 PM ET
CHALMETTE, La. (AP) - For many enthusiasts, cars have become more than cool toys or status symbols in the four-plus years after Hurricane Katrina. Cars have become a way to escape temporarily the grim realities that remain in still-rebuilding communities like St. Bernard Parish.
The Antique Automobile Club of St. Bernard recently held its first show since the August 2005 storm. Many who attended use their cars as a way to take their mind off the difficulties of rebuilding.
Charles Figley, a Tulane University psychologist and expert on disaster-related mental health issues, says cars can remind a person of younger days. He says it's great to get a release from a chronic problem such as the continued rebuilding.
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