Dominick Schilleci, a son of Louisiana, is a Coast Guard C-130 navigator who has been stationed in Hawai'i for the past eight years.

For generations, Schilleci's extended family made their homes in New Orleans.That ended on Aug. 29.

Schilleci's family lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina.

"The whole family," he said. "Mom, stepdad, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins — everyone except my sister."

Most of his mother's side of the family — the Bonnets and their relatives — evacuated to Pearl River, Miss., before the hurricane struck, taking over the home of an in-law, who, in turn, moved in with family in Texas, he said.

An uncle who stayed on through the storm was thought to be dead until he called from Utah and said he'd been picked up by a Coast Guard rescue helicopter. The Red Cross is busing him to Mississippi, Schilleci said.

The uncle will rejoin the rest of the family, most of whom —like their friends and neighbors — are left with nothing.

Some of the family homes were still under water.

"My stepdaddy went to my mom's house in a boat," Schilleci said. "The water was still up over the countertops in the kitchen, and you can't even touch it because of all the chemicals in it."

Reach Karen Blakeman at kblakeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.