I had a chance to drive through the gulf coast this last week, and went down to some of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. At this point its been over a year, and although the center of New Orleans (the French Quarter) is mostly up and running (although it's still thin on the ground with visitors) the rest of the city has a long way to go. A quick census whose results were announced when I was there placed the inhabitants at just under 200,000, about 40% of what it was pre-flood. A lot of folks think deliberate overcounting occured, and I can believe it. In about two hours in the 9th ward, I probably saw a couple of dozen people. Even less in Chalmette.

Gulfport Mississipi


Its hard to find a hotel in Gulfport




9th Ward

The Area by the levee was once packed with houses, but the force of the inrushing water removed many of them. Much of the death that occured in the 9th ward happened here. About 60% of these houses were owner occupied, but the owners were quite poor. Much of the insurance money for claims has yet to be paid.


Empty Blocks and the repaired levee











Chalmette

Chalmette is actually in worse shape than the 9th ward. Much of this place may never be reoccupied.














I fail to understand how we can build camps to house hundreds of thosuands of soldiers in a matter fo a month or two, but in over a year we can't rebuild a shattered American city.

Where are our priorities?

I wonder how much of our money went to repair the oil company facilities down there in the delta and the gulf?