A young couple, Miguel Roux and Brittany Guibert, had plans for Memorial Weekend filled with barbecues and beach outings. Instead, they faced what they described as “three days of hell” after being evacuated from their mobile home near the GKN Aerospace chemical plant in Garden Grove.
It all started when they were unexpectedly told on Friday to leave their home, which was only a mile and a half away from the plant.
As they began packing, along with Guibert’s mother and their French pug named Wednesday, they quickly began to feel the effects of chemical exposure. “I immediately started having a really bad headache,” Lu reported, adding that the situation was surreal.
With limited options for sleeping, the trio ended up at the Liberty Hall shelter in Fountain Valley, managed by the Red Cross. They reached the shelter around midnight but found no beds available, just food and water. “There were so many people,” Guibert recalled.
Being tall, Roux, who stands at 6’3″, and the others ended up crammed into their “very small” Honda. “Even if I had gotten a bed, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep,” Lu mentioned, explaining that the noise from crying children and snoring people made it impossible to rest.
At 4 a.m., Roux described a rather alarming scene with families sleeping in tents or on the grass, and coyotes wandering around nearby. Inside the shelter, beds were lined up while portable toilets were set outside.
After several hours of restless sleep, they woke up with persistent “throbbing headaches.” The couple then returned home to grab some essentials, including medication for Guibert’s mother who has various health issues.
They were also concerned about reports of looters in their evacuated area. After securing their home and collecting important documents, Lu stated her headache had intensified since they returned.
Later that day, the couple went in search of hotel rooms, which proved challenging given the overwhelming number of evacuees—about 50,000 people—and the skyrocketing accommodation prices. After extensive searching, they found the last available room at an economy hotel nearby.
It cost them over $700 for just two nights, even with a AAA discount. “We were lucky to find a place to stay,” Lu reflected, though they had to dip into their wedding fund for this.
The couple had initially hoped for a small wedding in Cancun, but now they’re reconsidering their plans. “I’m not quite sure what we’re going to do,” Guibert admitted.
Looking ahead, they face uncertainty. Roux is unsure when they will be able to return home and admits they can’t afford to stay in a hotel much longer. “We’re just taking it one day at a time,” Lu remarked.
Roux’s 31st birthday felt lost amid the chaos, marked by headaches and the absence of the family barbecue they had hoped for. He took it in stride, mentioning, “It’s not the worst, it’s not the best, but we’re fine,” as he prepared to take their dog out for some much-needed exercise.
In the meantime, a class action lawsuit has been filed against GKN Aerospace, alleging they did not protect the community adequately from hazardous materials. The lawsuit, filed by X-Law Group PC and Presidio Law Firm, aims to hold the firm accountable for the distress experienced by residents in Garden Grove.
