Homeless Couple Says They Survived Hurricane Ida by Taking Cover in Tent Under a Bridge

Angelique and Wilfred Herbert tried to catch an evacuation bus out of the storm’s path, but they were too late.

A homeless couple says they’re lucky to be alive after riding out Hurricane Ida under a bridge. 

"It was the most terrifying thing I've ever been through,” Angelique Herbert said. “I ain't never been through something like that. Never."

Angelique and Wilfred Herbert of Louisiana say they tried to catch an evacuation bus out of the storm’s path, but they were too late. And all they had for shelter was a dome tent that someone gave them. 

Wilfred Herbert says their only option was to find cover. "The only option we had go underneath somewheres and ride it out. So that's what we did."

They say they settled in under a bridge and hoped the storm would pass quickly. 

"It was really scary,” Angelique Herbert notes. “I was crying and upset and holding onto him, and we held on to each other, and I kept telling him, 'We're going to die, you know, in this hurricane.' He said, 'No, we're not. Just hang on, baby. It's going to be over with.' You know, I just hung on and prayed."

For the pair, It was rough and traumatizing, but they say they got through it together.

Related Stories