Two Years Later in the Big Easy

Cleanup not quite done -- Picture courtesy Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
New Orleans in 2007 still retains much of the desolation caused by the 2005 Katrina disaster. The hurricane actually missed the city, but caused the levees to be breached. The resulting flood took 1500 lives and destroyed 200,000 buildings. Portions of the original city were built on high ground such as the French Quarter and Uptown -- they avoided serious damage. But newer sections were built in low-lying areas close to the levees: Ninth Ward and Bernard Parish. These neighborhoods still are flattened. Debris and abandoned cars have been hauled away, and a smattering of reconstruction has taken place. New Orleans now has 260,000 people about 60% of its pre-Katrina head count. The most badly damaged areas just happened to be occupied by low-income racial minorities. There is speculation that this is what has hindered recovery – lack of insurance or personal savings. Even so, there should be recovery and remediation for anyone affected, regardless of personal income.

So what is the prognosis for the city as a whole? Many residents are still waiting for state or federal assistance. Kathleen Blanco’s Louisiana Recovery Authority and the Small Business Administration are offering financial assistance to displaced people, but the progress is extremely slow. There has been continued bickering about sources of repair funding; the state of Louisiana would like the federal government to dip into its General Fund (which gets a lot of money from Louisiana petroleum leases) to help rebuild the wetlands and the levees. The Army Corps of Engineers repaired all the breaches and pumped out the water shortly after Katrina. All they did was repair things to previous specifications and safety standards – which is to say that it could all happen again. Nothing preventive was done; nothing was done to make the flood prevention technology more robust. The very worst prospect is the one that’s playing out. People are starting to rebuild in the most vulnerable low-lying areas. They’re building small, frame houses – not elevated and not built for any flood considerations. Much like children making a sand castle with buckets of sand, these residents are banking against the wrath of Mother Nature – and she’s already shown us her wrath.

This poor city still suffers from misguided leadership at multiple levels. It appears that no particular entity wants ownership or involvement. I think the federal government should contribute to the wetland repair. Far-reaching improvements should be considered. But I also think that local state agencies like Kathleen Blanco’s Recovery fund should speed up their activities. Why so many delays? The most vulnerable areas should probably be turned into national park land and made strictly unavailable for development. Transitional spots should require new structures to be built with high ground clearance and water resistant material. New Orleans is a beautiful, historic city – a national treasure. Under no circumstances should this beautiful city be allowed to fade away.

© 2007 blogSpotter