Photos of Katrina's New Orleans

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Before beginning your journey, I would ask that you take a look at the map of New Orleans. You will see the three major levee breaches that allowed the streets to fill with water. The areas covered by the grayish/blue grid are, for all intents and purposes, dead zones. Downtown New Orleans, home to the Superdome and the French Quarter, and the location most featured on the news during the ordeal is currently functional, as are portions of the Garden District, Audubon, and East Carrollton.

Much more of the city is empty, having sat in anywhere from 6 to 15 feet of water for as long as two weeks. Central City, Mid City, Gentilly, Lakeview, New Orleans East, Bywater, the 9th Ward, Lakeshore, and West End are all lost. Arabi, Meraux, Hopedale, Kenilworth, and Chalmette in neighboring St. Bernard Parish are as well. There are people trying to clean up…trying to rebuild…but what they face is total and absolute devastation. I can’t stress that point enough. Thousands and thousands of homes, businesses and schools have been destroyed. The scenes on television did not, and do not do the situation justice. This is very, very bad.

The reason I want so badly for everyone to understand the gravity of the situation is so that when the rebuilding effort is complete…when the city once again hosts a Sugar Bowl, or a Super Bowl…when Mardi Gras floats once again roll down Canal Street…when you can once again go to a Bucktown restaurant, order a platter of crabs or crawfish, and eat your entire meal without referring to “The Storm”….the feat that these people will have accomplished will not be underestimated.

Dave
Metairie, LA

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