> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Survivor settles in SM - URL: https://www.smdp.com/survivor-settles-in-sm/ - Published: 2006-12-25T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T23:25:48.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: local, Pier, #archive-import *LocalNational 8 MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2006 A newspaper with issues COMMUNITY PROFILES THOMAS STEPHENS Recording Katrina* SANTA MONICA PIER — Gazing out at an endless sea of blue water was somewhat surreal after having left a hometown submerged in water. Thomas Stephens felt a slew of emotions when he first stepped foot on the Santa Monica Pier after escaping a decimated New Orleans in 2005, shortly after the city was torn to shreds by a heartless Hurricane Katrina. As he glanced out to the ocean — a sight he was seeing for the first time ever — Stephens, now 24, felt fear, excitement, anxiety and the hope of starting anew. Two days after the hurricane hit New Orleans and changed his life forever, the survivor landed in Southern California, where a friend in West Covina had offered Stephens a place to stay until he got back on his feet. Wearing the same clothes for days, Stephens came to Santa Monica to wait for the friend to finish classes at Santa Monica College. “There were a lot of things I had never seen before,” said Stephens, now a Santa Monica resident. “Santa Monica Pier really caught my attention. “I go to the lake all the time, but the ocean, it’s different.” WHY IS THE WATER STILL RISING? Stephens thought Hurricane Katrina would be just like any other hurricane. “I’m from the projects and the project housing is made out of brick,” he said. “I lived through hurricanes and I was always all right.” Rather than leave town like the rest of his family, he decided to await the hurricane at home, snapping photos of and recording the storm as it progressed. Following the storm, Stephens stepped outside, stretching his arms and grinning. He had weathered another storm. But the grin slowly disappeared as he realized the water was constantly rising. At this point, Stephens was unaware that the levees had failed the city. After assessing that the situation was worse than anticipated, Stephens left his house, walking through water that went as high as his neck until he arrived at a bridge. He witnessed the chaos that ensued as people began killing each other, running down the streets with weapons and breaking into stores. With his trusty camera, Stephens began snapping photos, documenting as much as he could. One photo he took was of a dead man who lay at the bottom of a bridge. Half of his face was smashed. Stephens managed to escape the city when he got word that there was a bus, reserved for the bus company employees and their families, departing the city. “I just came back from the supermarket with food and I hadn’t eaten in two days. Since I had food with me, they didn’t say anything,” Stephens said. The bus arrived at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where Stephens stayed overnight in a hotel. Holding his last paycheck from his job, Stephens made his way to the Golden State. BEGINNINGS OF A ‘REVOLUTION’ When Stephens arrived in Santa Monica, he walked over to the arcade on the pier, where he met his first local friend. Cruz Rodriguez, 24, of Westchester, was playing Dance Dance Revolution, a popular game where the video gamer has to follow certain dance steps that pop up on a television screen, when Stephens, a video game fanatic himself, joined. “Normally, I keep to myself, but there was something about his character that made me want to talk to him and be friends,” Rodriguez said on Friday. The two started talking and Rodriguez learned about Stephens’ story. “Come back sometime and hang out with my friends,” Rodriguez said. And so he did. “He’s a cool guy,” said Olivia Banegas, 19, of Santa Monica. “I met him the next day \[after Stephens met Rodriguez\]. He treats me like I’m his little sister.” After living for a month in West Covina and realizing the living situation with his friend would not work out, Stephens decided to move to Santa Monica since his friends lived in or around the city. But it was hard for Stephens to get back on his feet. After expending all his FEMA money, the unemployment insurance, which provided $200 a week, kicked in. In May, Stephens decided to start working and contacted a temp agency, which placed him in an administrative assistant position at Booz Allen Hamilton, a strategic management and technological consulting firm in El Segundo. But the work at Booz Allen Hamilton provided inconsistent hours, with Stephens being called on as needed. With the disaster relief funding set to expire in two months, Stephens was becoming desperate. The full-time job hunt began. Stephens sought help wanted signs and advertisements, but whenever an opportunity would present itself, Stephens would freeze from fear, unable to take the next step, and would fall back into his shell. It’s a fear that he believes was caused by the trauma of Hurricane Katrina. Luck finally turned Stephens’ way two weeks ago when Booz Allen Hamilton offered him the administrative assistant job full-time. Sam Porgess, managing partner for Booz Allen Hamilton, met Stephens at a holiday party a few weeks ago and learned about his story. Hiring Stephens was a no-brainer, Porgess said. “Here is someone doing a good job and needs help,” Porgess said. “I wish I would’ve known earlier.” LOOKING FORWARD The past year would have even been more unbearable had it not been for the emotional and familial support provided by Stephens’ friends. “I’m really happy that he was able to come out here in LA and make friends so quickly,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of us helped him with his troubles. He was holding in a lot.” Stephens is not sure whether he wants to return to New Orleans. He now has a permanent job and a great place to live in a city he could only dream of before. Thoughts of New Orleans and how much he misses his hometown keep Stephens awake at night sometimes. He misses the food, his family back home and his friends. But it’s time to start anew. He’s considering attending Santa Monica College and exploring his options in photography, Japanese or engineering. “There are different things here, different cultures and different races,” Stephens said. “I actually feel more comfortable here than back at home. It’s like this is where I should be.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/122506-03_01.jpg) (Photo: Photo courtesy) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/122506-03_02.jpg) WATERS RUN DEEP: Stephens snapped photos and recordings following Hurricane Katrina. (Photo: Thomas Stephens Special to the Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 25, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/122506.pdf?ref=smdp.com)