This week 10 years ago residents had their eyes on a trajectory that was starting to get a little more prevalent on the television airways and making its way into newspaper print.

People in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were getting ready for ground zero of disaster.

Hurricane Katrina was headed our way and while we didn’t know exactly where it was going to hit, this week was when we were paid extra attention to the news, stressed a whole lot more than normal, bought plywood and other disaster tools and most definitely stocked the pantry with canned goods, bottled water and more.

Even if an individual did not have enough supplies, he or she knew neighbors and businesses would lend a helping hand if disaster struck.

Turns out it did.

Evacuees headed north, visiting North Mississippi hotels and some even staying here when homes and livelihoods were destroyed by Katrina’s winds, rains or after-effects.

Hurricane Katrina is a top 10 event we remember in our lifetimes. We remember births, deaths, weddings of loved ones. But we also remember the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the space shuttle exploding, Sept. 11, 2001, shootings at Columbine, bombings in Oklahoma City and most definitely Hurricane Katrina.

North Mississippi mainly saw swaying trees, scary winds, massive downpours and the general side effects of a tropical weather system moving northeast. While some sighed with relief, it was life-altering to those who sought refuge from southern Mississippi lands that were devastated.

Former Gov. Haley Barbour was in Oxford on Sunday as a part of a book-signing tour to bring attention to what he wrote on how Mississippi recovered from the storm. It will help kick-start remembrances planned and jog our memories on what we endured and what some have overcome in the past 10 years.

The main attention was on New Orleans, but Mississippi bore a brunt of the storm. We overcame and helped one another. Those words have been emphasized so much they have a resounding echo. We need to not let them fall on deaf ears that are so used to hearing it that they don’t realize the importance of what our state and its residents have done in the past 10 years.

(“Our View” is an unsigned editorial representing the general opinion of The Oxford EAGLE editorial board, which includes Publisher Tim Phillips, Editor Stephanie Rebman, Managing Editor Rob Sigler, City Editor Alyssa Schnugg and photographer Bruce Newman.)