Debbie Russell

Primary Email: debbie@empressaudio.com

My husband, Floyd, and I have been married 35 years. The last 10 of which, "He has lived with a blond on the river!" Or so the rumor mill buzzed right after I decided to have my hair colored a "tad" lighter. This is the truth! 

We have three children: Ashley, Josh, and Caroline. In June, Lord willing, we will have our 7th grandchild! Floyd and I have had businesses on the Gulf Coast for 34 years. Our original being Empress Audio, to which we have added Empress Marine and Empress Auto. In 2006 I retired as an elementary principal.

Hurricane Katrina hit us extremely hard, as we live on the West Pascagoula River a mile north of I10. The house we were living in literally floated up the river. Yes, the whole house--along with another that we owned. Of the three left standing, two had 29 inches of water/mud, marsh grass, and a really mad water moccasin! Who would have thought that we would have 16 feet of water in a 7 foot flood plain? Because all of our structures were twelve feet or higher, and because, at the time, we were zoned commercial---and commercial flood insurance (even then) was astronomical, we had no flood insurance. Suffice it to say, we went from being basically debt free to, well, let's just say, Floyd is running the stores again----and would anyone like a deal on a condo in Destin?!

Thankfully, the stores came through the hurricane with minimal damage...until the looters showed up in full force. Virtually all of our inventory, which we owned, was looted. An Escalade, which we used for advertising and left inside the Gulfport store, as well as the store itself, was trashed. The looters even built a fire inside the store so they could see what they were stealing---resourceful group! Evidently, car stereo equipment is essential to survival!!

We have several unbelievable stories that we could tell from that experience, but I will not continue to bore you. I must say however,  I always knew that there was no real security in life outside of Jesus Christ, and I know that many of you have lost a lot more in your life than just money and things. I hope that you have found as I have, that the one thing that I always uttered and always hoped and prayed was true, namely, that whatever happens, God alone is sufficient, and He is truly good----IS reality. God Bless, Debbie