new orleans photos

These are just a tiny sampling of the damage. Each of these pictures are typical, not abberations for the area in which they were taken.

This is among the best examples of wind damage I saw. Billboards more than 20 feet in the air were also ravaged. It was rare to see tall signs that survived the storm, and and most skyscrapers in New Orleans lost at least 10% of their windows. Smaller storefront signs also littered the ground in some areas.

This grafiti (Nagin for Prez!) was written on a refridgerator in the French Quarter. I'm not sure whether it was intended to be ironic or not.

This was shot across Lake Pontchartain from New Orleans, in Mandeville. Every house on the block looked more or less like this, with a dumpster and a trashed roof.

Piles of trash like this one lined the street, probably every 30 feet or so in residential areas. It made driving very difficult, and I was constantly worried about getting a flat tire.

Much was made of the loss of pets during this disaster. Fortunately for this family, they seem to have been reunited with their dog.

"Levee Board Vicitm" was probably the most common 'blame game' grafiti I saw. Discarded refrigerators were in front of most housing in Mid-City.

This business owner seems to have spoken too soon when they said they would be open. With the power still out, no businesses were open in Mid-City.

This was about the most hopeful thing I saw, a Mid-City church open for business. It is also evident how high the water rose from the lines along the side of the building.

Finally, signs offering cleanup services were everywhere. I suspect this industry is the largest employer in New Orleans (and perhaps all of Louisiana) at this point.