"Knoxville is a great place. KPD gave me the opportunity to work for their department. I have no regrets. It's been great," Geoffrey Murret said.-
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By SAMANTHA SARACINO
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Wednesday is the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans, and Hurricane Isaac is headed in the same direction.
Geoffrey Murret is a Knoxville police officer who spends most of his time as a school resource officer at Fulton High School.
Murret is also a New Orleans native and former New Orleans officer who experienced Hurricane Katrina while he was on the force.
"Katrina was a bad memory. I try not to think about it. I put it in the past," Murret said.
Still, he admits it's hard not to think about sometimes. "With Isaac hitting tomorrow on the anniversary of Katrina seven years ago, for a lot of people that lived it and were there, it does bring back a lot of bad memories," Murret said.
He still has family and friends in the area, most who are staying in Louisiana.
"A lot of them seem to think it won't be as bad as it was in 2005," Murret said. "From what I understand, the storm is a little bit smaller and they are a little more prepared with the pumping stations, flood gates and everything else than they were in 2005."
Murret and his family lost their home to Katrina. He has home video of the aftermath. The damage in the area was so extensive it's part of the reason his family relocated to Tennessee.
"I had four kids to think about. I had a lot of friends living in FEMA trailers. I had a lot of friends with kids living in FEMA trailers. I didn't want that. I didn't want that for my family," Murret explained.
Although New Orleans will always be home to him, Murret says he's happy to be settled in Knoxville. "Knoxville is a great place. KPD gave me the opportunity to work for their department. I have no regrets. It's been great," he said.
Murret says when Katrina hit, it was a waiting game for the police department. They weren't able to do anything until they could assess the damage. They helped with some rescue efforts, but mainly focused on the same things they always did, like fighting crime.
Murret has been in Knoxville since 2006. He lives here with his wife and four children.
