Sunday Part II
In Lakeview, you'd happen upon a home that was being brought back. But many people are waiting for insurance claims and FEMA money, plus they do not necessarily want to rebuild because they're waiting on the government to say how strong the new levee will be this time around. So in general, not many signs of hope.
Then we went to the Lower Ninth Ward, the hardest hit black neighborhood in the city. Homes? Many were swept away leaving only the foundation. Others were crunched like an accordian, shifted and then slammed into a neighbor's house. Cars were crushed in piles and mountains of debrie were everywhere. I'm not the most capable person to trust with a camera and there is no way a few random shots can tell the story, but here are some photos to give you a good idea.
The Oak trees did not die, but all the magnolia trees all did.
Cars, either on their front or on their back, were everywhere in some crushed form.
The front gate and steps to a house. But no house.
The gas meter ... to nothing.
The front steps to home but no home. The levee wall is in the background.
A boat wrapped around an electrical pole.
The home of the great Fats Domino. He still lives in the neighborhood he grew up in (or did). Looters stole the gold records and he had to be rescued from the roof of this house by a boat. But his house still stands. Proceeds from his new CD, available here, goes directly to relief efforts.
No one's eating at Popeye's anymore. In fact most of the fast food chains are closed. Only one or two Rallye's are open, but that's about it.
This looks like a genteel street, but it once was a neighborhood with rows of homes. Those homes are gone but the cars and debrie are left behind. No people in sight except those poking through the mountains of personal belongings.
The foundation of a home, the family car, yet no family, no home.
Signs like this one were plentiful. Many believe the levee breach was an intended cleansing of the area's poorest residents. I can't say I agree since the water also damaged the city's wealthiest residents. Yet I can understand why people are blaming the government, one reason being, there's nothing being done. Disaster hits, the neighborhood is turned into a pile of rubble, and then ... nothing. Would the same thing happen in Boston, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago? Somehow I doubt it. Just as in Sept. 11, clean-up would be instantaneous and if not, heads would roll. Come down here to see first hand what inertia looks like.
Then we went to the Lower Ninth Ward, the hardest hit black neighborhood in the city. Homes? Many were swept away leaving only the foundation. Others were crunched like an accordian, shifted and then slammed into a neighbor's house. Cars were crushed in piles and mountains of debrie were everywhere. I'm not the most capable person to trust with a camera and there is no way a few random shots can tell the story, but here are some photos to give you a good idea.
The Oak trees did not die, but all the magnolia trees all did.
Cars, either on their front or on their back, were everywhere in some crushed form.
The front gate and steps to a house. But no house.
The gas meter ... to nothing.
The front steps to home but no home. The levee wall is in the background.
A boat wrapped around an electrical pole.
The home of the great Fats Domino. He still lives in the neighborhood he grew up in (or did). Looters stole the gold records and he had to be rescued from the roof of this house by a boat. But his house still stands. Proceeds from his new CD, available here, goes directly to relief efforts.
No one's eating at Popeye's anymore. In fact most of the fast food chains are closed. Only one or two Rallye's are open, but that's about it.
This looks like a genteel street, but it once was a neighborhood with rows of homes. Those homes are gone but the cars and debrie are left behind. No people in sight except those poking through the mountains of personal belongings.
The foundation of a home, the family car, yet no family, no home.
Signs like this one were plentiful. Many believe the levee breach was an intended cleansing of the area's poorest residents. I can't say I agree since the water also damaged the city's wealthiest residents. Yet I can understand why people are blaming the government, one reason being, there's nothing being done. Disaster hits, the neighborhood is turned into a pile of rubble, and then ... nothing. Would the same thing happen in Boston, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago? Somehow I doubt it. Just as in Sept. 11, clean-up would be instantaneous and if not, heads would roll. Come down here to see first hand what inertia looks like.
posted by burningsun | 12:55 AM
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