Elaine Antonatos of Metairie, La., wearing the clothes she wore when she evacuated in the face of Hurricane Katrina, welcomes guests to her 76th birthday party last month. The occasion marked the two-year anniversary of the storm that hit on the day she was born, Aug. 29. MIKE MORONES/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

New Orleans woman a symbol of hope in the slowly recovering city

Date published: 9/15/2007

ELAINE Antonatos is a survivor, and to many of her friends, a symbol of hope and resilience in New Orleans.

I recently spent time on the Gulf Coast on assignment for this newspaper on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

While I was there, I was lucky enough to attend Antonatos' 76th birthday party at a restaurant in Metairie.

A New Orleans native, she was one of the memorable people encountered by Operation Photo Rescue, founded by two Free Lance-Star photographers, Dave Ellis and Rebecca Sell. OPR volunteers have made multiple trips to the Gulf Coast, collecting storm-damaged photos and fixing them for free.

Antonatos lost her 100-year-old Metairie home and most of her belongings, but managed to save some photos and brought them in when an OPR crew worked at a library in Metairie last year.

She made a lasting impression on the photographers, and kept in touch with them, inviting them to her party when she found out they had returned to Biloxi, Miss., last month to collect more damaged photos.

I've been to the Gulf Coast four times in the past two years to report on the aftermath of Katrina and how the storm affected many people connected to the Fredericksburg area.

It occurred to me that, behind the anniversary stories, the posturing of politicians, the fading memories, are the thousands of ordinary people such as Antonatos who have not forgotten, but are getting on with their lives.

Besides her loss, Antonatos has a personal connection with the storm. It came ashore on Aug. 29--her birthday. She wore the same clothes she was wearing on that fateful day--white shorts, a short-sleeve shirt, white socks and sneakers--to the party.

One of her friends dubbed her "Hurricane Elaine."

Here's some of what Antonatos said to about 100 friends and family:

"The love, patience, compassion and generosity so many gave, simply overwhelmed me. Their hearts and homes were opened to me without question or hesitation."

For several months after the storm, most of the city in tatters, she stayed at five different places. She depended upon family and friends for her most basic needs.

Date published: 9/15/2007