Katrina 5 years ago

[jeebus]

New Orleans is not doing fine. The lower ninth ward is still not 50% .Outside the French Quarter and the Superdome NO is not even 75%.

I don't think its as bad as that. Outside the lower 9th, I think the latest statistic all the news agencies gave was that over 75% of the city was at least at 50% returned. Here are some information pages on post Katrina population stats:

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/08/29/new-orleans-population-recovery-five-years-post-katrina/

http://www.gnocdc.org/RecoveryByNeighborhood/index.html

This is from wiki:

A recent article released by The Times-Picayune indicated that the metropolitan area had undergone a recent influx of 5,300 households in the later half of 2008, bringing the population to around 469,605 households or 88.1% of its pre-Katrina levels. While the area's population has been on an upward trajectory since the storm, much of that growth was attributed to residents returning after Katrina.

I like this story best: http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/...-after-katrina

Its about how the Vietnamese went back in after the storm and with in one or two years had completely rebuilt their community, almost with no government assistance. Short of one or two other very affluent neighborhoods/districts in the city, they were the only working class community to do so without government assistance and before anyone else as well. Now that's impressive.

It also gives me great perspective in that almost all Vietnamese came here in the late 70's with nothing but the shirt on their back and some tax incentives from the government for our involvement in their country's civil war. 30 years, or just one generation later they were the first to rebuild in New Orleans. That speaks volumes in of itself.

[jeebus]

Let me say this...before you speak on something. Think about what you would have done if you were in that situation.

Katrina exposed the corruption of Louisiana, New Orleans, and the Federal Government. It also pulled back the curtain and showed America just how many people had become addicted to government assistance - the same assistance that is touted as a hand-up, but in all really is now just a hand-out.

[fishboyt]

Let me say this...before you speak on something. Think about what you would have done if you were in that situation.

Here's what I would have done: Not build a major city six feet BELOW sea level; Been prepared for a hurricane because I live on the Gulf Coast; Evacuated when I was told to. That is why I am angry. They did not listen and they expected us to pity them.

[jeebus]

Here's what I would have done: Not build a major city six feet BELOW sea level; Been prepared for a hurricane because I live on the Gulf Coast; Evacuated when I was told to. That is why I am angry. They did not listen and they expected us to pity them.

Do you know why New Orleans was built where it was built? I pity those who evacuated as they were advised but lost their homes when the levees failed. However, I admire those who went back afterwords and rebuilt their homes, as I mentioned above.

[stevenallenbarnard]

Here's what I would have done: Not build a major city six feet BELOW sea level; Been prepared for a hurricane because they are on the Gulf Coast; Evacuated when I was told to. That is why I am angry. They did not listen and they hurt bad.

That city was there LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGG before people truly had a concept of "below sea level". And I'm sure many of them were as prepared as they knew to be. As for evacuating, that's always touchy. Hurricanes can change course at the last second. During Rita my family decided to evacuate to my cousins house in splendora. this was right after katrina so the concept of losing everything in a hurricane was still fresh on everyones mind. when we left rita was being predicted to blow straight through houston. that evening she took a turn to the east. it got pretty nasty out there. we lost power and there were several trees that went through other peoples houses. I called my next door neighbor back in houston and he said the power never even flickered. the point i'm trying to get at is that there will always be people who stay behind. some don't want to leave their homes and some have no where else to go. If you're only options are stay in your home and take your chances or evacuate to another city and risk having to sleep on the streets until the hurricane passed, which do you pick. The kick in the nuts or the punch in the nose.

[fishboyt]

Do you know why New Orleans was built where it was built? I pity those who evacuated as they were advised but lost their homes when the levees failed. However, I admire those who went back afterwords and rebuilt their homes, as I mentioned above.

Yes, I do. It was built at the mouth of the Mississippi because the south wanted a port city.

[jeebus]

Yes, I do. It was built at the mouth of the Mississippi because the south wanted a port city.

It was established there by the French as it controlled access to the Mississippi which was the freeway of the 1700's. Its location was chosen for its bow shape which provided a great tactical position for a fort, and it was also built along the high-ground of the river - which is what the French Quarter is now. The French Quarter was one of the only areas to not flood when the levees broke.

Its hard to move something so old and influential to a region.

[fishboyt]

That city was there LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGG before people truly had a concept of "below sea level". And I'm sure many of them were as prepared as they knew to be. As for evacuating, that's always touchy. Hurricanes can change course at the last second. During Rita my family decided to evacuate to my cousins house in splendora. this was right after katrina so the concept of losing everything in a hurricane was still fresh on everyones mind. when we left rita was being predicted to blow straight through houston. that evening she took a turn to the east. it got pretty nasty out there. we lost power and there were several trees that went through other peoples houses. I called my next door neighbor back in houston and he said the power never even flickered. the point i'm trying to get at is that there will always be people who stay behind. some don't want to leave their homes and some have no where else to go. If you're only options are stay in your home and take your chances or evacuate to another city and risk having to sleep on the streets until the hurricane passed, which do you pick. The kick in the nuts or the punch in the nose.

Have you heard of "The Great Hurricane of 1900"? That was the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. It hit Galveston before they had that seawall and it took out almost the whole island. After the hurricane, they actually raised all the houses that were left standing seventeen feet into the air and pumped dirt/sand in from the Gulf to raise the island. I know that New Orleans is way too big to do this to, but was it even considered?

Just to let you guys know, I used to live about 2 hours from New Orleans before Katrina hit. I know how bad it is in Louisiana because if a hurricane comes, it floods bad and the rivers fill up. Louisiana is the best place in the world to me, but I just think New Orleans could have been a little bit more prepared.

[fishboyt]

It was established there by the French as it controlled access to the Mississippi which was the freeway of the 1700's. Its location was chosen for its bow shape which provided a great tactical position for a fort, and it was also built along the high-ground of the river - which is what the French Quarter is now. The French Quarter was one of the only areas to not flood when the levees broke.

Its hard to move something so old and influential to a region.

I understand, but a city shouldn't be that vulnerable to floods. The levees should not be made of dirt or anything that can collaps on itself. I just think that they should have taken the time to plan the whole thing out before a hurricane hit. I don't mean when the city was first founded; I mean within the last few decades.

[Lionel]

You don't have to be below sea level to flood my friend. A katrina type disaster can occur anywhere. Lets all hope it doesn't happen in the Houston area.

Lionel

[stevenallenbarnard]

Have you heard of "The Great Hurricane of 1900"?

I was learning about that before you were even born. NO was built long before 1900. If you want to be mad at someone for what happened be mad at the local, state and federal government. They are the ones elected by the people to allocate how tax money is used. The people who lost their homes are not the ones to be mad at. It's good to see a person your age have passion about what goes n in the world around them. I certainly didn't at you age.

[fishboyt]

I was learning about that before you were even born. NO was built long before 1900. If you want to be mad at someone for what happened be mad at the local, state and federal government. They are the ones elected by the people to allocate how tax money is used. The people who lost their homes are not the ones to be mad at. It's good to see a person your age have passion about what goes n in the world around them. I certainly didn't at you age.

Trust me, I'm already mad at our government. lol

[Lionel]

I understand where most of you are coming from and i respect that. It just seems that when people discuss Katrina and the people that the storm displaced it seems as if they are being blamed for what happened or why they didn't leave, or why they don't go back, etc. Those people are still suffering and will continue to suffer. Most came from nothing. Most came from generations of Socio-economic neglect. Katrina peeled the lid off of a pot of "Bad Gumbo" that was destined to boil over one way or another. Maybe it exposed our government for what it truly represents? The wealthy elite?