08/22/2026
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, 20 year old Jabbar Gibson found himself trapped with his family and neighbors in the Fischer housing projects, without power, food, or any sign of help coming. When floodwaters began threatening more communities, Gibson and a few others discovered abandoned school buses and managed to get one started, despite Gibson having never driven a bus before. With the police eventually allowing him to continue, he returned to the Fischer and loaded dozens of people onto the bus, including families, pregnant women, sick and disabled passengers, and others desperate to escape.
Gibson then drove for roughly 13 hours toward Houston, navigating the chaos left behind by the storm. Along the way, he repeatedly stopped to pick up stranded people, saying, “I just couldn’t leave them behind.” After reaching the Houston Astrodome, where officials initially refused to let them in, Gibson and his passengers were eventually admitted alongside thousands of other evacuees. His actions became a powerful example of courage and selflessness, showing how one young man stepped up when an entire community desperately needed someone to help.
