NATCHEZ &045; Vernon Dotson, Ellery Boyd, Solomon Carey and Samuel Carey were in a New Orleans hotel room watching the water rise Wednesday morning.

That afternoon they checked into a newly opened Red Cross shelter in Natchez, well aware that they are among the lucky ones.

&uot;We were one of the last minute people,&uot; Solomon Carey said. &uot;We were with the people on the rooftops. We saw it all.&uot;

The New Orleans natives checked into the Comfort Suites on Canal Street before Hurricane Katrina hit the city. They weathered the storm from the hotel and saw windows blow out and debris fly.

&uot;We saw the water start rising that night,&uot; Carey said. &uot;By morning the water was just rising and rising.&uot;

The friends realized they would soon have to abandon their hotel or be trapped, so they headed outside. Their car was parked on the fifth-floor of a parking garage and was not damaged.

They drove through less than a foot of water on some roads and managed to find dry stretches to the interstate.

The friends then ventured into higher waters on foot to try and reach their house and neighborhood where family members were.

&uot;We tried to go see what was left,&uot; Carey said. &uot;We made it until the water was to my neck.&uot;

The men &045; all in their mid-20s &045;were forced to turn around.

Once on the interstate they siphoned gas from other abandoned cars until they had enough to fuel their trip north.

They also stopped at destroyed stores, where police were letting people take food, they said.

It was more than a three-hour drive to the Mississippi line. They arrived at First Baptist Church Wednesday afternoon, where they said they plan to stay for a while.

&uot;Most of our family, we don’t know where they are,&uot; Boyd said through tears. &uot;I need my mom. If my momma’s gone I don’t have nothing.&uot;

The men had their still-wet clothes and some belongings in their car Wednesday.

Though they know they’ll be in Natchez for several more days at least, New Orleans is home.

&uot;It’s where we grew up,&uot; Boyd said. &uot;It’s where we’ll be for life.&uot;

&uot;No matter what, it’s always going to be home,&uot; Carey said.