Journal of Communication and Religion Vol. 34 No. 2 November 2011, pp. 128-143 © 2011 Religious Communication Association Emotional Management in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Coping with Tragedy through Biblical Stories of Destruction Michael F. Rold ∗ , James M. Honeycutt, Stephanie Houston Grey & Anne-Liese Juge Fox Abstract: Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama on August 29, 2005. After these disasters, some victims become introspective and more spiritual. We surveyed approximately 3,000 people online from affected areas of the Gulf Coast to gauge the effect spiritual and religious narratives had on their ability to cope with and manage the effects of these storms and the destruction that followed. Women expressed more basic emotions including fear, sadness, surprise, and anger. The Genesis account of the Great Flood was reported over other Biblical narratives. An intriguing finding in relation to the failure of technologies after a disaster (e.g., loss of cell phone transmission) was that people imagined talking with parents, while praying (talking with God) was lower on the list. The results are discussed in terms of gender, felt emotions, and Biblical narratives. We offer implications for future study. Keywords: hurricanes, trauma, coping, imagined interactions, emotions, religious narratives Introduction Those directly and indirectly involved with the effects of Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005 no doubt went through many different emotions while trying to cope with the aftermath of the storm. The emotional devastation and despair associated with Katrina was perhaps felt most severely in Southeastern Louisiana. When tragedy occurs, such as events of a grand scale like Hurricane Katrina, those affected seek ways to cope with stress. Many rely on the strength of family and friends. Others, while still relying on those closest to them, may seek solace from more spiritual sources of strength. Researchers from the Gulf Coast Region sought to discover how religious narratives, specifically those from the Bible, helped in the coping process of those students of a southern university affected by Hurricane Katrina. There are reports that following disasters people become more introspective, spiritual, or religious. For example, Ai and Park (2005) argue that the effects of trauma and violence may be better understood by taking a broader perspective that includes resiliency and the recognition of the role of spirituality and religion in health and well-being in addition to stress-related growth. Positive religious coping has been shown to help people achieve greater levels of mental and physical health- related outcomes and allow some to navigate through life’s daily stressors while maintaining overall a more positive outlook on life (Pargament, Smith, Koenig, & ∗ Michael F. Rold, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Communication Studies, Louisiana State University, 136 Coates Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. 225-578-4172. mrold1@tigers.lsu.edu