Summary

Cora believes that the weather reports and mandatory evacuation order are alarmist and decides to wait out the storm in her parents’ house as a “true New Orleanian.” Joe attempts to convince Cora to leave, but when Cora yet refuses, he drags her to his studio to show her how to get into the gun safe to access the duck gun therein. Cora drives through the emptying city to retrieve clothes and valuables from her house and runs into Troy, whom she invites to join her in her parents’ house. She attempts to convince him that “We’re not gonna flood. It’ll turn and we’ll just get blown a little . . . They always turn” (169), though Troy remains dubious. Troy calls his sister Reyna to ask that she let him retrieve her and her sons, then hangs up and tells Cora, “You don...