MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) -
One Minneapolis family with close ties to New Orleans is keeping a close watch on Hurricane Isaac while hoping that no one has to relive what they did when Hurricane Katrina hit.
FOX 9 News first met Gwen Robertson seven years ago, after Hurricane Katrina hit.
"We took in my two daughters and my grandchildren," she recalled. "We were all together."
Robertson's family tree has deep roots in New Orleans. It's where she grew up, got married and raised her children.
"I think we're still a little numb from what happened in 2005," she told FOX 9 News. "Right now, I'm just praying and hoping everyone will get out of this and it won't be any worse."
One of the Robertson daughters who evacuated to Minneapolis has since returned to New Orleans, but this time, she got out of town before Hurricane Isaac roared in.
Still, Robertson is worried for other family members she's been unable to reach -- and she fears it may be too late.
"With some of my family members taking their time and trying to get out today, they couldn't get on the interstate," she said. "Now, they can't get out."
Though Hurricane Isaac isn't showing the kind of strength that Katrina did, survivors are still praying for mercy as it looks to strike on the seventh anniversary of one of the worst disasters in U.S. history.
"You can't describe this feeling," Robertson said. "Something has already happened -- so bad -- in 2005. Can it get any worse?"
Two of Robertson's cousins died in Hurricane Katrina, and she spent weeks without contact from other relatives. Now, she expects to be up all night as she works to confirm that everyone is safe.
NASA/GOES image of Hurricane Isaac
