Vance Moran weathers the storm

Vance Moran Longtime Agoura Hills businessman Vance Moran, who retired in the spring to his hometown of Covington, La., isn’t moved by hurricanes.

Moran, 82, co-founder of the Whizin’s Mall in Agoura Hills with the late Art Whizin, refused to leave his home, even though authorities warned residents about the devastation the recent Gulf hurricanes would bring.

Instead, Moran and his wife, Pat, hunkered down in their new home only 24 miles north of New Orleans and rode out Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Almost everybody in Covington, population of less than 10,000, evacuated when the news announced the coming of Katrina, first ranked as a category 5 hurricane with winds up to 165 miles per hour. Although the hurricane’s strength was downgraded to a category 4, it is still considered the most devastating storm in U.S. history.

“Some homes really got crushed,” Moran said. “One was hit by three big trees.” He said that except for his backyard, his new home withstood the flooding, probably because it’s perched on a plateau.

“I never thought about evacuating,” Moran said.

But his friend Tom Brady, an engineer in the Los Angeles County Fire Department in Agoura Hills, worried about the Morans’ safety. After he found out the Morans were living without any power, Brady offered to drive his RV to Covington so they would be more comfortable.

“I just wanted to make sure they were okay,” Brady said. “(Vance) has been my friend for 11 years.”

Moran called Brady a “good friend” to have offered to drive 2,000 miles to help him and his wife, but said that they “managed fine.”

“I consider myself blessed,” said Moran. “(They were the) strongest winds I’ve ever seen.”

The Morans not only weathered the storm, but managed to live without water, gas or electricity for two weeks. Moran described his house as being “out in the wilderness,” but the lack of power was only a minor inconvenience.

“We ate cereal, milk and bread,” he said.

The power was restored to Covington on Sept. 14.

As for the region’s second storm, Hurricane Rita, the Morans once again refused to evacuate, even though most of their neighbors chose to leave. Many Covington residents came home after Hurricane Katrina to assess damage to their homes, said Moran, but left again once Rita was announced.

After finally returning home to Covington after 50 years, Moran needs more than a hurricane to pry him away. “I’m getting reacquainted with people who knew me so long ago,” he said. “Everywhere I go, everyone is nice.”

“I went through World War II—that was worse than (the hurricanes),” Moran added.