The first of hundreds maybe thousands of evacuees from the gulf coast states have arrived in Topeka, and the capitol city has welcomed them with open arms.

New Orleans natives Toni Brousse and Tony DiGuardi experienced Hurricane Katrina firsthand. Brousse is a nurse and was working during the storm.

"There were people in the streets swimming into the emergency room to get in for shelter," Brousse said.

After being rescued by boat, they traveled to a dry town west of New Orleans where tragedy turned normal citizens into crooks.

"People were starving, there was no water so they were looting and robbing people in the streets, if you had a car, so it was pretty dangerous," Brousse said.

When the family finally to made it to Topeka, they realized they'd lost everything.

"I was never the type of man who had a lot and expected a lot. What I do have I worked for all my life, and it's kinda hard to lose what you've worked all your life for," DiGuardi said.

Family members are grateful for all of the people who helped get them back on their feet.

"Everyone in Topeka's been so wonderful to us. They're offering us clothes, food, cooking us meals," Brousse said.

"Of the whole ordeal, we've been treated nice, people really opened their hearts to us, I must say that, I must put emphasis on how nice we've been treated," DiGuardi said.

Now they're here to stay.

"I'm not going back to New Orleans, Topeka's gonna be my home," DiGuardi said.