8.5 Months After: Ninth Ward

[Cuivienen]

My father recently went to New Orleans on a business trip as part of the reopening of various consulets in the city, including the Mexican and Canadian Consulets, both of which reopened for business this past weekend. (My father, for those who don't know, works for the US Department of State. Yeah, his boss is Condi. *Shudders*) He brought back all sorts of interesting news about rebuilding in New Orleans, especially in the French Quarter, which apparently looks entirely back to normal. However, on the last day, he also ventured out into the regions of the city hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina and ook some pictures. I thought I'd share them with you.

(Yes, there is still flooding in parts of the city.)

It's like this for miles, and yet Katrina and the Ninth Ward have completely disappeared from the news, from Congress, from the President's speeches, and from our collective consciousness. Shame on all of us.

 

[cgannon64]

Good news, though: FEMA just got high-tech!

(I'm sorry, but sarcasm is the easy out for something like this...)

 

[The Yankee]

One of my professors, a New Orleans native, went down there over the spring break to help the cleanup (some of the students also went...I couldn't afford to pay for the airfare though) and he took essentially the same types of pictures. I don't remember if they were all from the Ninth, but certainly, there's a large part of the city that's just been written off.

 

[amadeus]

Well, is there a reason to rebuild that area as it was?

 

[The Yankee]

Not for me to decide, but at least get the wreckage out of there before deciding how it will be rebuilt.

 

[Brian_B]

The problem has less to do with FEMA at this point and more to do with the bickering of local government officials. Moreover, city hall keeps backing off of setting hard dates for people to begin rebuilding or at least make a claim to their homes/property before they officially condemn and tear them down. There are a lot of people in that part of the city that haven't lifted a finger to do anything in terms of making their plans for the future known and it's been one year.

Honestly, there are several portions of the city including the Ninth Ward and the affluent Lakeview area that should be zoned as green space. As you can imagine things like this take a massive amount of political wrangling as various plans are being kicked about in terms of who will buy the property, etc. etc.

No one has "forgotten" it is just far more complicated than throwing a pile of money at the situation. One of my brother's lost not only his house but he had just closed the deal on a new house he had purchased which was wiped out, too. Another brother lost his house in Lakeview and my parents were forced out of their home. All have returned. I realize not everyone has the financial position to start the rebuilding process immediately, but as I said, there are a LOT of people that haven't done a single thing in terms of reclaiming their lives or making their intent known to move back to the city to live. And yet, they still insist on voting in the city elections.

 

[The Yankee]

there are a LOT of people that haven't done a single thing in terms of reclaiming their lives or making their intent known to move back to the city to live. And yet, they still insist on voting in the city elections.

The school situation is atrocious however. I could see not going back until there were actually more of them open. And as you said, financial considerations as well. It's not a simple situation.

 

[Brian_B]

Actually some of the schools are better than they were before. Prior to the storm there was a big push for abolishing the Orleans Parish school board and bringing in privately run charter schools. The hurricane was the straw that broke the camel's back and now many of the charter schools are in place and a slew of incompetent teachers have been fired. But, yes, there is still a shortage of actual schools.

 

[Arminius]

You forget that the driving force behind the recovery of New Orleans is returning/new citizens and businesses. Former citizens of the 9th Ward are not returning. I know, I live in Baton Rouge. Of the former 9th Warders I've meet, most are staying in Baton Rouge, some are moving farther west, and a few are returning to New Orleans, but not to the 9th Ward. If no one wants to live there, there is no reason to prioritize the clearing of that land.

 

[The Yankee]

Sounds like a perpetual Catch-22. Who would want to live there if the place is still a dump?

 

[Rik Meleet]

I heard that 6 months after there were about 2000 people still missing. Is this still true ?

 

[shortguy]

Didn't they decide that large portions of the city weren't going to be rebuilt at all?

 

[Alpine Trooper]

Nice day out to go swimming.

 

[Godwynn]

I didn't realize that there was still high water levels.

 

[eyrei]

I heard that 6 months after there were about 2000 people still missing. Is this still true ?

Probably, but people 'disappear' in the US all the time, just ask the Internal Revenue Service.

Most of them probably just relocated and didn't bother to tell the government, for which I can't really blame them...

 

[Truronian]

It may be like that for ever, what with a nasty looking hurricane season on its way. Are there still people willing to live in these areas? Why rebuild if no-one wants to live there.

 

[Abaddon]

Why rebuild it??? Sure it sucks people have lost their homes- reimburse them and buy the land, then jus put it up for private development (if anyone wants it) in the meantime natures benetifing.

 

[Truronian]

IMO they should turn the area into a low-upkeep park (possibly designed to flood and drain easily). Build the houses somewhere less flood-prone (eg. Chicago )

 

[Abaddon]

a vast wetland for wildlife would make sense to me.

 

[ummmm........]

I agree rebuilding with an aim towards remaking the same city would be pretty much nuts, but as for why people want to live there, it's the mouth of the Mississippi. People want to live there for the same reasons they've always wanted to live there.