Natalie Brutter didn't know what she was getting into upon arrival in New Orleans just two weeks before Hurricane Katrina hit. She thought the humidity was all she'd have to overcome, but her plans were about to get washed away.
Now a student at San Diego State, Brutter is one of four Austrian exchange students who were displaced after being confronted with the difficult decision to either go back home or find another university - fast.
There were no real signs of disaster underway when Brutter first moved to New Orleans, although she said it was uncomfortably hot.
"The weather in New Orleans was 94 degrees everyday with 90 percent humidity," she said. "It was very hot."
Two days before the Category 5 hurricane hit, Brutter and her friends spotted a newspaper article, which explained the severity of the up-and-coming windstorm. Brutter said she was not warned about the dangers of hurricanes before reading the article and was told when one comes, students just party inland until it passes.
After reading the article, she said, "we called our advisor at the University of New Orleans and she told us we should leave as soon as possible because on Sunday (Aug. 28) we won't get out of the city."
With only one half hour to pack, Brutter said she and her friends packed three-to four-days worth of their personal belongings.
"We thought we could go back," she said.
They left with friends from California, one of whom had an uncle living in Texas. The students drove 15 hours without a break until they arrived at 3 a.m. to the house in Houston where they were invited to stay.
From there, the international exchange students wrote 15 to 20 e-mails to universities that were accepting displaced students from Louisiana, including USC, SDSU and colleges in Florida and Chicago. Although she said the universities answered immediately, Brutter and three friends chose SDSU over other universities based on its weather and course listings.
"We went there because there are no hurricanes," Brutter simply said.
While most of her friends got out of New Orleans in time, Brutter said one friend stayed because she had experienced a Category 3 hurricane before and didn't think it would be bad.
Two days before Katrina's blow, it was declared a major hurricane, or Category 3. It wasn't until Aug. 28 - one day before it hit - when it was declared a Category 4 and then 5, and Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation. Katrina was "the most destructive and costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States," according to http://en.wikipedia.org.
"They went through a lot," Ron Moffatt, the director of the International Student Center, said.
Brutter said she didn't know what her old apartment looked like because no one was allowed to go back, but she knew the ground floor of the building was destroyed.
Moffatt said he received e-mails shortly after Katrina hit. Then, he said the ISC checked with enrollment services to see if the offer held to displaced students was extended to exchange students.
"We were just glad we were able to help them," Moffatt said. "They lost all of their possessions."
Program coordinator Juan Venegas met with them when they initially arrived in San Diego.
"They were extremely excited and grateful San Diego had extended an open hand," he said.
Despite all that she endured, Brutter maintains a sunny disposition and said she's grateful for everyone who has helped.
"In Europe, you would not have the same thing because (if) you had a hurricane in Austria and you go to Spain, nobody would care about that," Brutter said. "So I think America is very united."
Venegas had just welcomed 500 international students the previous week, assisting incoming students and giving them the resources they needed to get settled.
Upon their arrival from Texas, Venegas said he reserved a hotel for the students, which offered a special rate. He also helped them get settled into a house and provided them with transportation when needed.
"With them, I probably went above and beyond the call of duty," he said.
Venegas said he tries to provide the same assistance for everyone, but it's good to really help someone out who needs it.
Furniture was also donated through a network in which directors of the International Student Tutor Mentor Program, Gigie and Larry Price, sent out e-mails asking for items.
So far, Brutter said she really likes San Diego.
"Everything is beautiful," she said.
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