Touring the Aftermath
Sunday, October 26, 2008 Posted In barge , families , Federal Government , FEMA , flood , for rent , future , Industrial Canal , Katrina , levee , methane gas , Nemo , new houses , New Orleans , Ninth Ward , residential , trailers , tyvek , weeds Edit This 2 Comments »
It's been three years since Katrina hit New Orleans but who knows if the lower Ninth Ward will ever recover? This was the hardest hit area and the community we drove through on our self-guided tour. One thing was clear, it wasn't only Katrina's fault. The Industrial Canal levee was built from sand. Yes, you heard right...SAND! Poking a screwdriver in it would have brought the thing down.
But, the Federal Government gave the city $600 million to replace the crumbling levee in 1998. Construction started the same year until Ninth Ward residents complained about the noise and sued to have the work stopped. Big oops!
It has been repaired now and unmistakably concrete in construction. If it had been repaired when it was supposed to, the steel barge that, well... barged through the levee into the residential area would not have ended up on top of someone's home.
(The barge has since been removed but for your viewing convenience, I swiped a pic from the net.)
Most of the residents from this area have left for good. There are acres of empty lots, homes long gone. Some diehards still live in FEMA trailers. We saw a few new houses. Families sitting on their new porches solemnly watched us drive past. We approached one man and asked if we could take his picture. People across the street called out, "He doesn't talk!" We took his picture. He smiled then picked up a broom and began to sweep his driveway. The driveway to nowhere....
Sign below reads: "Danger. Keep Out. Methane Gas May Be Present. Home Sitter Preservation Network. Saving our past for our future."
Still standing...
Tiny house overgrown with weeds.
House for Rent. Cheap. No neighbours. Air conditioning. Original facade. Choose your own carpet. Available immediately.
Two died here...
Writing on the door below says, "Sorry. Too Late. Copper is Gone."
Deserted neighbourhoods and potholed streets...
Belongings still sitting where the water left them...
Holes hacked into the roof by residents trying to escape the floodwaters. 
Rooftop S.O.S. sign. "We Love You Jesus. We need gas and food."
Only the roof remains...
Not much remains...
Oh, the irony!
Hope wrapped in tyvek...
Building UP! Nemo keeps an eye out for the next wave...
But, the Federal Government gave the city $600 million to replace the crumbling levee in 1998. Construction started the same year until Ninth Ward residents complained about the noise and sued to have the work stopped. Big oops!
It has been repaired now and unmistakably concrete in construction. If it had been repaired when it was supposed to, the steel barge that, well... barged through the levee into the residential area would not have ended up on top of someone's home.
(The barge has since been removed but for your viewing convenience, I swiped a pic from the net.)
Most of the residents from this area have left for good. There are acres of empty lots, homes long gone. Some diehards still live in FEMA trailers. We saw a few new houses. Families sitting on their new porches solemnly watched us drive past. We approached one man and asked if we could take his picture. People across the street called out, "He doesn't talk!" We took his picture. He smiled then picked up a broom and began to sweep his driveway. The driveway to nowhere....
Sign below reads: "Danger. Keep Out. Methane Gas May Be Present. Home Sitter Preservation Network. Saving our past for our future."
Still standing...
Tiny house overgrown with weeds.
House for Rent. Cheap. No neighbours. Air conditioning. Original facade. Choose your own carpet. Available immediately. 
Two died here...
Writing on the door below says, "Sorry. Too Late. Copper is Gone."
Deserted neighbourhoods and potholed streets...
Belongings still sitting where the water left them...
Holes hacked into the roof by residents trying to escape the floodwaters. 
Rooftop S.O.S. sign. "We Love You Jesus. We need gas and food."
Only the roof remains...
Not much remains...
Oh, the irony!
Hope wrapped in tyvek...
Building UP! Nemo keeps an eye out for the next wave...
2 brilliant observations:
Comments are enabled...blogger is having technical difficulties!
It just all looks so sad still. I have heard that it is still bad down there, but I can't believe it looks like this, especially after all of that money raised to rebuild. Did you see much rebuilding at all? You'll never believe what my word verification to post this is...Prepare! First time I've gotten some letters that actually is a word, and what a word for this entry.
Glad you are home, hope you feel better soon!
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