Although they'd not met before setting out for the Gulf Coast on September 5, retired FDNY firefighters Chris Edwards and John Seiler of the Red Cross Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) immediately bonded and became a force to reckon with during their stint in the Gulf, earning themselves the nickname, "The Two New York Tornados” from Disaster Relief supervisors.

Veterans of both the FDNY and 9-11, with more than 40 years of experience between them, Chris and John labored for two and a half weeks in the sweltering heat on the front lines of some of the most devastated areas, handing out food, water, ice, pampers, formula, medical supplies and hygiene kits, along with bear hugs and comfort.

In fact, they asked to be sent to the hardest hit areas, unfazed by reports of lootings, shootings and the imposition of martial law. They were, however, shocked and saddened by the physical and human devastation wrought by Katrina. “We saw a ship loaded with hundreds of cargo cartons pushed miles inland in Gulfport, MS,” said John. “It flattened houses along the way. And we saw people sitting on slabs where their homes had been, protecting what they had left—it was heartbreaking.”

Their first night in Biloxi, Mississippi, the pair slept on the courthouse floor. “We weren"t smart enough to take the cots out,” joked Chris. Nor did they realize they were entitled to a day off, though they wouldn’t have taken one had they known. For the two, this was more than a relief effort; it was a mission of mercy. “The whole trip, it was like something above us was leading us on the journey,” said Chris. “On our day off, we dropped off 1,000 bags of ice in Slidell, Louisiana,” added John.

Wherever they went, their Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) was mobbed. For many survivors, Chris and John were the first responders they’d seen. Often, within a half an hour, the truck was emptied of all its Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and as much as 1,000 pounds of ice.

In two and a half weeks driving up and down the coast the duo averaged 175 miles a day, stopping in Gulfport, Long Beach, Ocean Springs, Bay Saint Louis and Pass Christian Mississippi. After the first week, with electricity starting to return, people once again had food. So the second week, John and Chris distributed ice, bleach and cleaning supplies. They also told the Southern Baptists’ 16-man tree cutting crews about sites where they were needed. 

One sight John says touched his heart: an older woman came up to them crying. She kept saying, Thank you, thank you, for giving me my life back. She had lost her daughter and grandchildren in the flood.

Chris and John bought $300 worth of toys for kids out of their own pockets. At first when they approached children, the kids shrank back. “They were shell shocked,” said John. “We gave them crayons and coloring books and stuffed animals and came back to check on them the next day. Then the kids were more relaxed and thanked us. And the parents were more relaxed because the kids were calm.”

They agreed that their most satisfying undertaking was helping a young woman with a three-month-old baby that had been born prematurely and a three-year-old child with infected feet from stepping on a nail. The baby, who was severely dehydrated, was just seven pounds. The woman initially refused to leave her home for fear of being evicted. John and Chris got her and her children to a hospital for treatment and checked back on them the next day.

Chris said, “She asked us why we would help her. We said, because we’re both grandfathers and because we’re here to help.”  He added, “We New Yorkers have to be grateful. We can all go home to our families and friends.”

 John summed up their feelings: “It was an honor to be there and serve the people.”