‘Hurricane Gustav was a let-down’

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HURRICANE-FORCE winds battered his house and torrential rain lashed down on it.

But one North-east dad “rode the storm” with friends at their US home.

And as the eye of Hurricane Gustav passed, Kevin Robertson said it was a “let-down”.

The oil firm operations manager stayed in his Louisiana neighbourhood as winds whipped against the walls.

Kevin, 34, said: “It started off like a rainy day in Aberdeen with grey skies, wind and rain building up.

And there were reports of tornadoes along the coast area.

“I boarded up my house and then left for a friend’s house – I couldn’t stay at home as I have two large oak trees and was scared they would fall on the house.”

Kevin, who married Texan Jennifer, 33, three weeks ago, has already experienced hurricanes Katrina and Rita since living in Lafayette for five years.

“The last hurricanes passed to the left and right of us,” said Kevin, who has lived in Lafayette – a city of around 250,000 people – for five years.

“But this one was coming straight for us.

“It is a very strange feeling when the house starts shaking but there’s an element of adrenaline too.

“After hurricane Rita there was such devastation. Driving round it was like looking at something from a Hollywood movie with cars and trailers on their sides.”

Today, without electricity and looking out on to the debris-strewn streets, he said: “It’s a strange noise, you can hear things rolling around outside but you couldn’t tell to what extent the damage was because you couldn’t see outside.”

Kevin, whose daughters Rachel, 14, and Chloe, 12, live in Newtonhill, said he was not scared, adding: “At the end it was a let-down. It’s like a rainy day in Aberdeen now.

“I was speaking to locals and I’d say about 50% stayed,” said Kevin, whose daughters Rachel, 14, and Chloe, 12, live in Newtonhill.

“There was a real community spirit with those left behind.”

Kevin is due to move to India in just two weeks but fears he may be selling a pile of bricks rather than a house.

As hurricane Gustav arrived on the coast of New Orleans it was yesterday downgraded to a category one storm.

Click here to read Kevin’s description of events leading up to the storm.