Reconstruction of New Orleans

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The effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans were catastrophic due to failure of the Federal flood protection system designed to protect the city [1] (see 2005 levee failures in Greater New Orleans). The American Society of Civil Engineers refers to the flooding as the worst engineering catastrophe in US history.^[1] Over 204,000 homes in New Orleans were damaged or destroyed, and 800,000-plus citizens were forced to live outside of their homes — the greatest diaspora in the United States since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.^[2]

Contents 1 The damage 1.1 Parts of town: differing circumstances 2 Federal funding debate 3 Reconstruction 3.1 Levee and pump repairs 3.2 Relief agencies 3.3 Repopulation and restoring homes 3.4 Businesses 3.5 Tourism and Events 4 Drinking water 5 See also 6 References 7 External links 7.1 Corruption Accusations

[edit] The damage

The wind damage was not as severe as had been projected by meteorologists and most buildings survived intact. The failure of the levee system, however, caused extensive flooding in New Orleans and surrounding parishes and resulted in extensive water damage to nearly 80% of all structures in Orleans Parish. Responsibility for the design and construction of New Orleans' flood protection belongs by Federal mandate via the Flood Control Act of 1965 to the US Army Corps of Engineers, a federal agency.

Many buildings that withstood the storm's winds were damaged by either the direct force of the flooding and by the deleterious effect of long immersion. Among the threats to buildings is the rapid propagation of mold.

The flood waters were contaminated by a very high number of sources, and interactions between these sources and the urban environment are very hard to predict. Testing found these floodwaters were not unusual, however. The Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency in March 2006 declared all parts of New Orleans safe, no soil was contaminated and the air quality was pure.

[edit] Parts of town: differing circumstances

Reconstruction has been easiest and quickest in the areas least damaged by the storm, mostly corresponding to the parts of the city developed before about 1900. These areas were built on naturally higher ground along the River front (such as Old Carrollton, Uptown, the Old Warehouse District, the French Quarter, Old Marigny, and Bywater), along with areas along natural ridges (such as Esplanade Ridge, Bayou St. John, Gentilly Ridge). Most of these older areas had no flooding at all or escaped serious flooding because of the raised design of older architecture which prevented floodwaters from entering homes. Another high area, much of which escaped serious flooding, was the set of Lake Shore developments between Lake Pontchartrain and Robert E. Lee Boulevard, built at a higher level than nearby land from mid-20th century dredging.

Due to the direction of the storm and the movement of storm surge, the West Bank section of the city, Algiers was spared flooding and became the first part of the city itself to officially reopen to residents.

In neighboring Jefferson Parish, the West Bank communities were similarly spared all but some wind damage (with a few spots of minor rain-generated flooding). On the East Bank, while parts of Metairie and other Jefferson communities experienced some flooding, due to lack of levee breaches this was much less severe than across the Parish line in Orleans (or the devastation of the 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane which flooded most of Jefferson's East Bank).

One of the hardest hit areas was the Ninth Ward which suffered catastrophic flooding due to a breach in the Industrial Canal. The highly pressured water in the canal was due to a "funnel effect" caused by the levees of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Much of Saint Bernard and the Lakeview neighborhood experienced similar devastation.

[edit] Federal funding debate

Some people, including former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, have questioned whether federal funds should pay to rebuild New Orleans. Others consider New Orleans's unique cultural heritage and history to be as important to the United States as, for instance, Venice is to Italy, and maintain that to not rebuild and reoccupy the city would be an immeasurable loss in that regard. The Times-Picayune ran a front page editorial arguing for national help. It has been noted in part that the federal government has had oversight over the levee system since the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, and most of the destruction in the city occurred due to the levee failure. Senator Mary Landrieu said that Louisiana's off-shore petroleum leases have generated billions of dollars in revenues for the federal government's general fund, more than would be needed to restore wetlands and upgrade levee/flood control for South Louisiana to withstand category 5 storms, and argued that the federal government should either earmark some of that income for such projects or allow Louisiana to keep a significant portion of that revenue so the state could take care of its needs itself.

[edit] Reconstruction

Despite numerous problems, reconstruction of New Orleans has been ongoing. By Monday, September 5, 2005 power began to be restored to buildings in the central business district of New Orleans on a priority basis. ^[3]

By Tuesday, September 6, 2005 the Port of New Orleans, the biggest U.S. port in terms of tonnage handled, was able to receive and service relief ships. It was estimated that resumption of commercial shipments would take at least 14 days.^[4]

[edit] Levee and pump repairs

The Army Corps of Engineers, the sole entity responsible for design and construction of New Orleans' flood protection has been working to repair the 53 levee breaches including the Industrial Canal, 17th Street Canal, and London Avenue Canal since shortly after the storm. In early 2007 the Army Corps has been criticized for installing pumps at the 17th Street and London Canal that they knew according to an internal memo were defective before they were installed.

Estimates for unwatering New Orleans, also taking into account average annual rainfall, were as follows: Orleans Parish (week of October 2), Eastern New Orleans (week of October 8), Chalmette (week of October 8), and Plaquemines Parish (week of October 18).^[5]

[edit] Relief agencies

Relief agencies have helped many returnees. The Red Cross made a belated significant entry into the city in mid-September, and by the start of October had a number of relief centers set up around the city. These provided hot meals, packaged food, bottled water and other supplies like diapers, mops, and dust-masks. The Salvation Army also had many stations giving food. Temporary free clincs provided some medical care. Towards the end of 2005, the relief centers were wound down, starting with those in functioning parts of the city. Red Cross meals continued at a much smaller scale into 2006 from trucks traveling around the worst-hit and poorest neighborhoods.

Food Not Bombs was active in providing food early after the disaster. A community kitchen was set up first in Washington Square in Faubourg Marigny; after a few months it was moved to a park by Bayou St. John before being closed down. A number of church groups and smaller charities set up aid stations for a time.

Common Ground Collective has two relief centers in the 9th Ward, providing food, clothing, and a tool library. The larger center is in the Upper 9th Ward, with a smaller one in the worst hit part of the Lower 9th Ward. They have also helped gutting houses.

Habitat for Humanity has been active with volunteers gutting and repairing damaged houses and constructing new houses. Catholic Charities has also been very active with volunteers repairing damaged houses and churches throughout the area. Camp Hope in Violet, LA has housed volunteers in the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort of St. Bernard Parish since June 1, 2006.

[edit] Repopulation and restoring homes

Repopulating the city has been steady but gradual, with neither the rapid return of most evacuees hoped for by some optimists nor the long term "ghost town" desertion of the city feared by some pessimists. In early 2006, the RAND Corporation estimated that, even in 2008, the city's population will only be little more than half what it was before the storm hit; however by July of 2007 the city's population was estimated at about 2/3 (or close to 300,000 residents) of that before the disaster. ^[6]

The areas with little or no flooding were the first to be officially reopened, have utilities restored, and a sizable portion of residents and businesses return.

Flooded-out areas have presented more problems. The city has no comprehensive plan for what to do about flooded areas. Thousands of property owners have been gutting and repairing their property, some in the lowest lying areas of town. Contractors and workers from out-of-state and other countries have come in great numbers doing demolition and reconstruction work, some filling hotels and rental property, others living in trailers and tent cities set up in city parks and parking lots. Sportscaster Mike Tirico incorrectly generalized on Monday Night Football in September 2006, some areas, like the Lower Ninth Ward and Gentilly, still looked as badly damaged as it was the day the storm passed through. Actually, in each of those neighborhoods thousands of truckloads of debris have been removed, hundreds of unsalvagable houses demolished, and work on gutting and repairs has been constant since the city has reopened-- but those who did not see the destruction in detail in the days after the city first reopened can be deceived into thinking little has been done since, as the city still has mile after mile of neighborhoods in ruins.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of New Orleanians are living in the largely intact upper stories of their homes while the flood damaged downstairs are being repaired, often being stripped to the wall joists in the process.

The Army Corps of Engineers set up the "Blue Roof Program" of putting blue tarps over damaged roofs. The tarps are to keep out rain until more permanent roof repairs can be made. Thousands of blue tarps can be seen throughout the city, since even areas without flooding suffered wind damage. A number of official restrictions, however, mean some residents are unable to benefit from this recovery program. Likewise, a number of subcontractors paid by the Corps only do "easy" low-pitch one-story roofs, choosing not to return to do more difficult roofs. Some New Orleanians have been living for months in homes with sizable holes in their roofs, still unsuccessful in getting either a blue tarp or a contractor to put up a permanent roof. Among the popular handouts at Red Cross relief stations were 5-gallon buckets, many of which are put to use whenever it rains. Six months after the storm, many of the hastily-placed blue roof tarps are in tatters, and the Corps will only allow one tarp to be placed on a roof, leaving these homes vulnerable again. Many people have still not succeeded in getting permanent roof repairs from such reasons as long waiting lists for reliable contractors and waits for insurance payment.

Seven months after the storm, 2/3 of the requested FEMA trailers (designed for short term emergency housing immediately after a disaster) had been delivered. Many of these trailers, however, could still not be occupied or, if occupied, were not properly functional. Delays of weeks or months in hooking up electricity and water to trailers are common, and together with mechanical problems and bureaucratic problems prevent use of the trailers.

In June 2006, the State of Louisiana finally awarded a contract to DRC, Inc. of Mobile, Alabama to tow the thousands of abandoned cars strewn throughout New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

[edit] Businesses

Bars were the first businesses to reopen in many areas (indeed, two remained open in the French Quarter even during the worst of the storm and the official mandatory evacuation). Most other businesses, such as gas stations, supermarkets, appliance stores, and restaurants, followed somewhat later as they required more work before they could reopen. Some of the few businesses to do significantly better business after Katrina than before are new car dealers. Flooding totaled an estimated 200,000 vehicles in Metro New Orleans, and dealers able to get in shipments of new cars quickly found customers. After local reporters found a used car dealer selling partially cleaned up flooded cars with restored engines but still soggy trunks, the state legislature quickly passed legislation mandating that cars declared totaled must be dismantled, crushed, or otherwise disposed of and could not be resold.

Some three months after the storm, most open restaurants were serving food and drink in disposable plates and cups because of the shortage of dishwashers. Despite many restaurants offering wages double pre-Katrina levels for dishwashers, there were few takers as untrained laborers can make more money in demolition- and reconstruction-related industries. Ten months later, things had improved, though there are still labor shortages in many service industries.

[edit] Tourism and Events

The American Library Association held its annual convention in New Orleans in June 2006; the estimated 18,000 attendees represented the first city-wide convention in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. The HIMSS healthcare information technology convention and the American College of Cardiology convention, both held in the spring of 2007, each had more than 24,000 attendees.^[7] The Essence Music Festival returned to the Crescent City in July 2007 after being displaced to Houston in 2006. Several national travel guides have once again listed New Orleans as one of the top five places to visit in the country.

The Bayou Classic, the traditional football game between Southern University and Grambling State University, returned in November 2006 after being displaced to Houston, Texas for its 2005 game. The National Football League made a commitment to the city with the return of the New Orleans Saints, following speculation of a move to San Antonio, Texas, or Los Angeles, California, and there are rumors of a 2012 or 2013 Super Bowl. The National Basketball Association has made a commitment with the return of the New Orleans Hornets, which played in both New Orleans and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in the 2006-2007 season, returning fully for the 2007-2008 season. New Orleans has been granted the 2008 NBA All Star Game, which usually generates millions of dollars in revenue for its host city. Tulane University hosted the first and second rounds of the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. The Superdome has since hosted several college football bowl games. The New Orleans Bowl resumed in December 2006, and the Sugar Bowl and 2008 BCS National Championship Game took in January 2008.

In mid-March 2007 a local group of investors began conducting a study to see if the city could support a Major League Soccer team.^[8]

Major events such as Mardi Gras and the Jazz and Heritage Festival were never displaced.

[edit] Drinking water

Water and sewage has been gradually restored. The first section of the city to have a "boil water" order lifted (in the high ground of the old crescent along the riverfront from the French Quarter to old Carrollton) was on 6 October 2005. The last section of the city to have such an order lifted (a section of the Lower 9th Ward) was on 9 October 2006.

[edit] See also

• Bring New Orleans Back Commission
• Civil engineering and infrastructure repair in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
• Musicians' Village

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Levees.org - a non-profit headquartered in New Orleans
• Stress and Trauma Relief Workshops in New Orleans offered for free and at reduced costs by the International Association for Human Values
• Common Ground Collective
• Providence Community Housing, a leading non-profit housing development group
• Reconstruction Watch
• NYT: Storm and Crisis
• Life In New Orleans
• Dennis Hastert's comments
• Times Picayune editorial
• A photographic survey of New Orleans in the winter and spring of 2006 from www.psychogeo.com
• Independent Levee Investigation Team Draft Report
• Repopulating New Orleans
• KatrinaAction.org - The Katrina Information Network
• Habitat For Humanity - New Orleans
• Camp Hope
• Professor lauded for New Orleans recovery work
• New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan
• Project: Katrina Volunteers
• [2]
• For the Right of Return article about destruction of public housing in New Orleans from [Dollars & Sense] magazine, January/February 2008

[edit] Corruption Accusations

• Study: U.S. double-billed for Katrina work, AP, May 4, 2006
• Fed Inspectors: Katrina Contracts Wasteful, AP, April 20, 2006
• Multiple Layers Of Contractors Drive Up Cost of Katrina Cleanup, Washington Post, March 20, 2006
• Lobbyists Advise Katrina Relief, LA Times, October 10, 2005
• No-Bid Contracts Win Katrina Work, Wall Street Journal, September 12, 2005
• Destruction of Public Housing, December 3, 2007