SLIDELL, La. —

John Saucier has helped to craft the landscape of Slidell for more than 50 years. However, it's the landscape of this community devastated and torn apart following Hurricane Katrina that he remembers most.

"It's hard to explain the things that you seen and stuff that's just flattened out," said Saucier. "Everything basically from the public park downhill toward the lake, railroad tracks were wiped out. The bridges were wiped out." Advertisement

Saucier was one of the first to get a bird's-eye view in the hours after the storm, taking up his own helicopter so leaders could assess the damage.

"It was Bell 47 that was built in the 40s. It was rebuilt," said Saucier. "I'd go and spot, and out of nowhere, this guy's on a roof, or this couple is on the roof, or this family's

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