sadness in New Orleans

The destruction is widespread and devastating.

Approaching New Orleans, most roofs are covered with blue tarps. FEMA has been deploying these blue tarps all over the gulf to make homes inhabitable during the repair process. From a distance, it appears that a bizarre designer built a blue roofed city. Closer, it becomes evident that tens of thousands of homes were damaged by Katrina’s winds.

The French Quarter is not in bad shape, though having never been there, I lack a frame of reference. About one-third of businesses were still shuttered, primarily retail stores and galleries. Most restaurants and bars have reopened. Most of the damage in the area resulted from wind — broken windows, fallen signs — rather than flooding.

While businesses are cleaning up and reopening in the French Quarter, the people have not yet returned. About half the people I saw on the streets were construction or cleanup workers. Overall, the Quarter was subdued, not the bastion of revelry and debauchery for which it is known. Most tourists seemed to be sightseeing, not exposing themselves and pounding drinks in oddly shaped vessels. When all the hotels and casinos have reopened, perhaps this will change.

Mid-City, which flooded and is remains without electricity, smells strongly of sewage. The streets are nearly deserted, and dump trucks outnumber cars. The streets are lined with trash, piles of wood, ruined refrigerators and flooded cars. Simply moving or destroying all this refuse will take months, if not years. And until this happens, the rebuilding process can not really begin. I was there during the day, but I would imagine this area to be very dangerous at night.

In this area, most of the buildings have several water stain lines, some as high as six feet showing how high the water had risen. Looking at these lines, it was easy to envision the entire neighborhood filled with water. I wonder how many of the buildings have been damaged beyond repair from the flooding, and will have to be destroyed. Of course, this will only add to the amount of debris.

It has been two months since Katrina ravaged roofs and flooded the city. Much has been done, by FEMA and others, but the recovery seems to have barely begun. Rebuilding the Crescent City will require leadership that has heretofore not been demonstrated on any level. On its current course, I believe the reconstruction will restore the tourism industry, but that much of the rest of the city will be lost.

Pictures to follow…