
Louder Than Thunder
A raw and evocative firsthand account of the events of the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina and its ensuing weeks of a harrowing ordeal for everyone involved.
By: Cheryl k. Hawkins
Author Bio
Cheryl Hawkins was born on November 19th to the union of Emile and Meriam Hawkins and is the oldest of five children. She grew up in the Church of God in Christ and gave her heart to Jesus at age 16. She also embarked upon music ministry by playing the piano for the youth choir of her church that same year.
Cheryl graduated from Oral Roberts University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Telecommunications. Afterwards, she attended graduate school and obtained a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of New Orleans. She has taught elementary school for over 35 years and resides in suburban Atlanta where she is now retired.


Intro
This is the story of how my encounter with Hurricane Katrina has enriched my life. It is not written to be politically correct, nor is it politically motivated. It is simply a testimony of the faithfulness, mercy, and grace of God toward our family.
You’ve heard stories about how Hurricane Katrina victims looted stores, abused little girls, and turned to violence in the Superdome in New Orleans. However, not many people have told you of the thousands of unsung heroes, regular, everyday people who rescued neighbors—whole families—from the rising waters of Lake Ponchartrain and the Gulf Coast as the levees broke. Here are a few of those stories as we follow Cheryl and Emile Hawkins from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to new lives in metro Atlanta.