Indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson suffered what might be the final blow of his storied political career in the most improbable way Saturday, when an untested Republican opponent took advantage of Louisiana's new federal voting rules -- and an election delay caused by Hurricane Gustav -- to unseat the nine-term Democrat.
With the upset victory, Anh "Joseph" Cao, an eastern New Orleans attorney who fled war-ravaged Saigon as a child, becomes the first Vietnamese-American in Congress. He will represent a district that was specifically drawn to give African-Americans an electoral advantage and one in which two of every three voters are registered Democrats.
Showing posts with label New Orleans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Orleans. Show all posts
Monday, December 8, 2008
Another First for Congress
Congressman William Jefferson, Democrat from New Orleans, was defeated. The winner is another first for Congress. A Vietnamese American will join the ranks of Congress. Jefferson is under indictment after the FBI found $90,000 in his freezer.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Everything Got to Ride
The wind is stirring ever so gently, so far. I have three cats. One goes a bit bonkers whenever a storm threatens. I brought him in early this afternoon. He is almost climbing the walls wanting to go outside. Every time I get up, he runs to the door.
I was checking on the latest and saw this at the Sunherald:
Going to try to catch some sleep. It looks like Gustav has sped up and will be making landfall sometime in the morning. It looks bad for Louisiana and New Orleans.
I was checking on the latest and saw this at the Sunherald:
South Mississippi residents continue to evacuate and seek shelter from Hurricane Gustav on Sunday night. CTA reported 440 people, three cats, one dog and two parakeets were evacuated on school buses to Jackson
Going to try to catch some sleep. It looks like Gustav has sped up and will be making landfall sometime in the morning. It looks bad for Louisiana and New Orleans.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Not Even the Gulf Coast This Time
We in Mississippi have become used to the fact when Hurricane Katrina is mentioned in the news and in documentaries, we are relegated to the faceless and vague "Gulf Coast". In documentaries that aired on channels such as the Discovery Channel, we have become used that footage of the storm surge that occurred in Gulfport and Biloxi is shown while the narrator talks about New Orleans. We are used to these same documentaries showing damage from Mississippi towns such as Waveland and Pass Christian while once again narrating New Orleans. But at least these documentaries mention the faceless and nameless "Gulf Coast". Now, a usually respected science website doesn't even deem it worthwhile to even mention the "Gulf Coast" when it lists the top ten US natural disasters. It has Hurricane Katrina at number 2 and this is what it states:
No mention that Hurricane Katrina made its landfall in Mississippi. No mention of the terrible and awesome storm surge that engulfed my once beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast. No mention that 400,000 people, almost the same population as New Orleans, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast had their lives turned upside down. No mention that 238 of those who died in Hurricane Katrina were from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. No mention of the fact that as of 2006, $10 billion in insurance claims in Mississippi had been filed. Those figures do not include flood and wind pool claims. But based on the number of homes Katrina destroyed in Mississippi and the amount that can insured, another $2.5 - 5 billion could be added to just the insurance costs alone. Those insurance figures do not take into account the actual costs of rebuilding, just the amounts claimed.
As of 2006, $14 billion in Hurricane Katrina insurance claims had been filed in Louisiana.
I could find no clear cut figures for the economic impact of Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi but based on the insurance claims for both states, it is easy to conjucture that of the $150 billion economic impact of Katrina, between $45 billion(30%) and $67.5 billion(45%) was damage to Mississippi.
Missippi and Hurricane Katrina should not be relagated to the vague "Gulf Coast" or not even mentioned when discussing the top natural disasters to hit the US.
Hurricane Katrina - Aug. 29, 2005
The Atlantic storm that began as a category 1 hurricane as it blew across southern Florida wound up being the country's costliest tragedy. Katrina roared into the Louisiana coast with 125 mph sustained winds, causing a storm surge that broke levees that shielded New Orleans from surrounding, higher coastal waters, and leaving 80 percent of the city under water. Katrina killed at least 1,836 people and inflicted damages estimated at around $125 billion.
No mention that Hurricane Katrina made its landfall in Mississippi. No mention of the terrible and awesome storm surge that engulfed my once beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast. No mention that 400,000 people, almost the same population as New Orleans, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast had their lives turned upside down. No mention that 238 of those who died in Hurricane Katrina were from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. No mention of the fact that as of 2006, $10 billion in insurance claims in Mississippi had been filed. Those figures do not include flood and wind pool claims. But based on the number of homes Katrina destroyed in Mississippi and the amount that can insured, another $2.5 - 5 billion could be added to just the insurance costs alone. Those insurance figures do not take into account the actual costs of rebuilding, just the amounts claimed.
As of 2006, $14 billion in Hurricane Katrina insurance claims had been filed in Louisiana.
I could find no clear cut figures for the economic impact of Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi but based on the insurance claims for both states, it is easy to conjucture that of the $150 billion economic impact of Katrina, between $45 billion(30%) and $67.5 billion(45%) was damage to Mississippi.
Missippi and Hurricane Katrina should not be relagated to the vague "Gulf Coast" or not even mentioned when discussing the top natural disasters to hit the US.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Success Story
Many comparisons have been made about the flooding occurring along the Mississippi River and Hurricane Katrina. Comparisons are now being made between how FEMA is responding to the flooding occurring now and its response during Hurricane Katrina. In a post at Instapundit, this caught my eye:
I wrote an email to Instapundit.
Other comparisons have been made between the Mississippi River flooding and Hurricane Katrina. One of those is the seeming slowness of the rebuilding efforts. Some have suggested the slowness is due to a lack of character and many are just waiting for handouts. Some do have that mindset but it is a very, very small percentage. And it is that small percentage which gets the news coverage. The rest are busy working, rebuilding, and helping one another. It will take at a minimum of 10 years before some semblance of normalcy will be regained and all those homes rebuilt.
For every seen on the news complaining about demanding more help or saying it is too hot to look for work, there are tens of thousands of others who are quietly working and rebuilding.
Hurricane Katrina was a disaster of almost epic proportions. And the character of the people has shown we are equal to the daunting task of rebuilding and another American success story.
It's possible that Katrina was simply a harder-to-manage challenge because it was such a massive storm and because it hit an area (especially New Orleans and Louisiana) with weak social structures and poor government.
I wrote an email to Instapundit.
I think a lot of people still have no idea of the amount of destruction Hurricane Katrina did. FEMA made it to the Mississippi Coast a lot faster than I would have expected. The situation in New Orleans was different. To me, it wouldn't have made sense to try bring in truckloads of water and food to a city that was being evacuated, especially from the RealClear Poltics article you linked to which showed the National Guard had the necessary items on hand.
The damage from flooding and the number of homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans area and along the Mississippi can be likened to the destruction of two cities with populations of 100,000. These are cities which had a population of around 100,000 in 2005:
Arvada CO 103,966
Waterbury CT 107,902
Clearwater FL 108,687
Savannah GA 128,453
Springfield IL 115,668
Evansville IN 115,918
Olathe KS 111,334
Cambridge MA 100,135
Lansing MI 115,518
Manchester NH 109,691
Elizabeth NJ 125,809
Clarksville TN 112,878
How much effort would it take to rebuild any of the cities listed? Could it be done in 1 year, 2 years, 3 years? This is what we in Mississippi and the New Orleans area are facing. Hundreds of thousands of are doing so much like those in Iowa and other Mid-West states: With determination, hard work and by helping one another.*
Shira
Other comparisons have been made between the Mississippi River flooding and Hurricane Katrina. One of those is the seeming slowness of the rebuilding efforts. Some have suggested the slowness is due to a lack of character and many are just waiting for handouts. Some do have that mindset but it is a very, very small percentage. And it is that small percentage which gets the news coverage. The rest are busy working, rebuilding, and helping one another. It will take at a minimum of 10 years before some semblance of normalcy will be regained and all those homes rebuilt.
For every seen on the news complaining about demanding more help or saying it is too hot to look for work, there are tens of thousands of others who are quietly working and rebuilding.
Hurricane Katrina was a disaster of almost epic proportions. And the character of the people has shown we are equal to the daunting task of rebuilding and another American success story.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Survival
When reading this Times article, I was struck by this:
This "bias to normalcy" does tend to make people disbelief that those dire warnings about hurricanes. People get used to hearing about the catastrophic damage from the storm surge and the high winds. Hurricane warnings play in the background and people think, "It can't happen to us". My Mom didn't want to evacuate for Hurricane Katrina. We lied to her and she came with us. She didn't want to leave her animals. She didn't want to leave her home. Over 2 million people in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama evacuated before Hurricane Katrina. The "bias to normalcy" was suspended and those that chose to stay did so because they did not think anything bad would happen or it couldn't be worse than previous hurricanes such as Camille or Betsy. One is given the impression that no one heeded the hurricane warnings. If those 2 million people had not heeded the warnings (white, black, poor, and rich), the death toll from Hurricane Katrina would have been far greater.
No one in Mississippi expected 100,000 homes to be destroyed. No one in New Orleans really believed that the levees would fail and flood 100,000 homes. No one can really imagine the potential for destruction in a hurricane and other natural disasters. Even today, over 2 1/2 years later, I still have trouble comprehending the destruction even though I'm living among the ruins and the rebuilding.
Each year, at the start of hurricane season, government agencies like MEMA say to get ready. Bloggers like Instapundit post disaster preparedness lists. Each year, hundreds of thousands like myself, prepare and do so in advance of any hurricane warnings. Many of those who lost their homes in Katrina doubtless did so as well. Their homes were underwater or swept away along with provisions.
How would you survive if your home was swept away or flooded? Would you be paralyzed with fear? Would you be able to get out or get to higher ground? There are so many stories of people who did the right thing when faced with flooding. If they hadn't known what to do, the death toll from Katrina would have been greater. There are many remarkable such as Karen Abernathy and her family. She is a news anchor for WLOX. She lived in a home in an area that didn't see flooding in Hurricane Camille or for a hundred years. Yet she and her husband found themselves in the predicament of many others: waters rising in their homes. They didn't panic. The went to the second story of their home and the water was still rising. They escaped via their floating hot tub and managed to make it to a neighbor's home. Stories like hers were played out across the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in Louisiana. I think it is remarkable that so many people knew the correct things to do in order to survive. Yet, the images from Hurricane Katrina paint a picture of seemingly helpless and paralyzed people. The images of the Coast Guard helicopters are dramatic. That is the second-part of the story. The first part was those who survived and made it to the rooftops, to the overpasses, the boats, the trees, and the buildings on higher ground. Far from being whiny and paralyzed: They did the correct things once the waters started rising. If they hadn't, the Coast Guard wouldn't have had 50,000 people to lift to safety.
At the beginning of the Times Online article, there is this:
People in New Orleans and its environs, Mississippi, and Alabama, did take responsibility and action for their survival. If they hadn't, the death would have been in the tens of thousands instead of 1,600. I wish others would stop knocking survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Ordinary people did what it took to ensure their survival as well as their families and neighbors.
The news media gleefully shows those who have chosen to be victims. It makes for better story: If it bleeds, it leads. For every person you see on the news saying the help from FEMA, Red Cross, etc wasn't enough, there are tens of thousands of more who are quietly rebuilding businesses and homes. For every story of those who are still living in FEMA assisted housing and say it is too hot to look for work, there are thousands of others who are working full-time jobs and rebuilding their homes or awaiting affordable housing.
We are beyond the survival stage. Now the difficulties are navigating through bureaucracy, new zoning which has made some people have to rebuild their homes 20 feet up, insurance issues(hey, State Farm, if none of the storm damage was caused by wind, why are you dropping wind-coverage on so many policies?), fraudulent contractors. short supplies of building materials, labor shortages, and the task of rebuilding over 200,000 homes.
We are stepping up to the task. We survived the deluge and our rebuilding our communities.
As part of her research, Ripley visited the “burn tower” at Kansas City Fire Department, where firefighters practise their drills. “You’re in full gear, and they fill the room with smoke. You literally cannot see a thing, it’s like a blindfold. You become very attached to the person you’re with. You also think it might be useful to know where the stairs are.” When New Orleans was inundated following Katrina, stories circulated of the depravity supposedly engulfing evacuees at the city’s Superdome. “The police chief went on Oprah and said babies were getting raped,” recalls Ripley. It wasn’t true, nor were most of the stories, but, “They got traction because they fitted into an existing narrative that the public will go crazy and do horrible anti-social things in disasters.”
If those rumours fitted into a right-wing (not to mention racist) agenda, another part of Katrina mythology owes more to a leftish, liberal mindset in the media. This is the perception that the poor died for lack of transport while the rich got out of town. “The victims of Katrina were not disproportionately poor and black, taking into account this was a disproportionately black and poor city to start with,” says Ripley. “They were disproportionately elderly. And the number one reason people cited for not leaving town was not the lack of a car, but the fact that there had been plenty of hurricane warnings before and the predicted devastation had not occurred.”
Psychologists call this “the bias to normalcy”. In making a judgment, people rate their own personal experience and emotion above the advice of experts. “Normally this is fine,” says Ripley, “but living in a dense city on water, you need to rely more on the data.” Ripley recognises this tension in her argument. She wants more self-reliance but she thinks governments “need to step in where the brain’s risk analysis is not very good”. This would mean acquainting people with the risks of living in a tsunami inundation zone, or on a flood plain, or with a swimming pool a toddler can access, or indeed on the San Andreas Fault. “Everyone knows there’s going to be a huge earthquake in San Francisco more or less any day now.”
This "bias to normalcy" does tend to make people disbelief that those dire warnings about hurricanes. People get used to hearing about the catastrophic damage from the storm surge and the high winds. Hurricane warnings play in the background and people think, "It can't happen to us". My Mom didn't want to evacuate for Hurricane Katrina. We lied to her and she came with us. She didn't want to leave her animals. She didn't want to leave her home. Over 2 million people in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama evacuated before Hurricane Katrina. The "bias to normalcy" was suspended and those that chose to stay did so because they did not think anything bad would happen or it couldn't be worse than previous hurricanes such as Camille or Betsy. One is given the impression that no one heeded the hurricane warnings. If those 2 million people had not heeded the warnings (white, black, poor, and rich), the death toll from Hurricane Katrina would have been far greater.
No one in Mississippi expected 100,000 homes to be destroyed. No one in New Orleans really believed that the levees would fail and flood 100,000 homes. No one can really imagine the potential for destruction in a hurricane and other natural disasters. Even today, over 2 1/2 years later, I still have trouble comprehending the destruction even though I'm living among the ruins and the rebuilding.
Each year, at the start of hurricane season, government agencies like MEMA say to get ready. Bloggers like Instapundit post disaster preparedness lists. Each year, hundreds of thousands like myself, prepare and do so in advance of any hurricane warnings. Many of those who lost their homes in Katrina doubtless did so as well. Their homes were underwater or swept away along with provisions.
How would you survive if your home was swept away or flooded? Would you be paralyzed with fear? Would you be able to get out or get to higher ground? There are so many stories of people who did the right thing when faced with flooding. If they hadn't known what to do, the death toll from Katrina would have been greater. There are many remarkable such as Karen Abernathy and her family. She is a news anchor for WLOX. She lived in a home in an area that didn't see flooding in Hurricane Camille or for a hundred years. Yet she and her husband found themselves in the predicament of many others: waters rising in their homes. They didn't panic. The went to the second story of their home and the water was still rising. They escaped via their floating hot tub and managed to make it to a neighbor's home. Stories like hers were played out across the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in Louisiana. I think it is remarkable that so many people knew the correct things to do in order to survive. Yet, the images from Hurricane Katrina paint a picture of seemingly helpless and paralyzed people. The images of the Coast Guard helicopters are dramatic. That is the second-part of the story. The first part was those who survived and made it to the rooftops, to the overpasses, the boats, the trees, and the buildings on higher ground. Far from being whiny and paralyzed: They did the correct things once the waters started rising. If they hadn't, the Coast Guard wouldn't have had 50,000 people to lift to safety.
At the beginning of the Times Online article, there is this:
What makes one person a survivor and another a victim of the same disaster? Amanda Ripley, who has spent seven years researching her new book on how people respond to extreme events, believes that we must take responsibility – and action – if we want to stay alive when bad things happen
People in New Orleans and its environs, Mississippi, and Alabama, did take responsibility and action for their survival. If they hadn't, the death would have been in the tens of thousands instead of 1,600. I wish others would stop knocking survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Ordinary people did what it took to ensure their survival as well as their families and neighbors.
The news media gleefully shows those who have chosen to be victims. It makes for better story: If it bleeds, it leads. For every person you see on the news saying the help from FEMA, Red Cross, etc wasn't enough, there are tens of thousands of more who are quietly rebuilding businesses and homes. For every story of those who are still living in FEMA assisted housing and say it is too hot to look for work, there are thousands of others who are working full-time jobs and rebuilding their homes or awaiting affordable housing.
We are beyond the survival stage. Now the difficulties are navigating through bureaucracy, new zoning which has made some people have to rebuild their homes 20 feet up, insurance issues(hey, State Farm, if none of the storm damage was caused by wind, why are you dropping wind-coverage on so many policies?), fraudulent contractors. short supplies of building materials, labor shortages, and the task of rebuilding over 200,000 homes.
We are stepping up to the task. We survived the deluge and our rebuilding our communities.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
When the Waters Recede
The flood waters in Iowa have begun to recede and people in small towns like Palo, Iowa can finally go in and assess the flood damage. The clean-up will be hard and arduous. Food in refrigerators and freezers will have to be thrown out and in some cases, the refrigerators and freezers as well. Carpets and flooring will have to be replaced. Furniture will have to be thrown out. Photo albums can be salvaged and after Hurricane Katrina, there were a few photographers that offered that service for free. Cherished mementos may have been lost. The very sheet rock may have to ripped from the walls. After the sheet rock has been ripped out, in some cases the wood in the walls may have to be replaced. It will not be an easy task, the sifting through the water-sogged remains and looking for all those things that make your house a home. These scenes will be repeated up and down the areas that were flooded in Iowa. It is heart-rending to see a life-time of hard work gone in just a short period of time.
Those scenes were repeated hundreds of thousands of times in Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina hit. For those in Mississippi, many of those 65,000 homeowners only found the slabs. Hours were spent trying to find the precious photos of children growing up, of weddings, of graduations, of grandparents and parents.
It is no easy task to rebuild communities. In Louisiana and Mississippi, we are faced with the prospect of rebuilding close to 200,000 homes. The largest city in Iowa is Des Moines. It has a population(194,000) near to the number of homes Hurricane Katrina destroyed. Try to imagine having to rebuild a city that size and then maybe you can grasp the scope of the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
This from Tigerhawk still upsets me. It did touch a nerve.
I guess we in Mississippi and Louisiana will have to wave our magic wands and poof, 200,000 homes will have magically been rebuilt in 2 1/2 years. I keep giving the numbers for houses destroyed. The 200,000 doesn't even begin to include the number of homes damaged. Look at it this way, in the six coastal counties directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, there were only 3,000 homeowners who did not have to file an insurance claim.
We in Mississippi and Louisiana have made great strides to rebuild our homes and communities. Hurricane Katrina, even though only a Catagory 3 storm as measured by NOAA, was a 500 year storm for us. The massive storm surge has been guestimated by NOAA to have been 28 feet in Bay St Louis. I believe that is wrong. It was 24 feet in Biloxi's Back Bay, 20-25 miles from bay St Louis. The storm surge extended into Alabama as well. It was 10 feet there.
The severity of the flood does matter. I take exception to Tigerhawk and his remarks about the 6,384 Mississippians still living in FEMA trailers. Considering that there used to be 40,000 of the FEMA trailers, we've hardly been "paralyzed". Instead of denigrating us, Tigerhawk and others of his ilk should be celebrating with us in Mississippi and Louisiana that we have confronted the flood and are making great progress in rebuilding our streets, our homes, our communities, and our lives. There are some who are taking advantage. It is telling that the vast majority of those prosecuted for Katrina aid fraud did not even live in Mississippi or Louisiana.
It doesn't matter were you live when a disaster strikes. There will always be those few who take advantage of the situation. Photos of looters in Louisiana were splashed across the airwaves. Mississippi had looters as well. Even Iowa has had its looters. Are to judge every Iowan by these two? No, of course not. Just as those in Louisiana and Mississippi should not be judged by its looters and those who are taking advantage of the generosity of Americans citizens and the Federal government.
Not only have we in Mississippi and Louisiana confronted the flood and begun the task of rebuilding, we've done so while being hampered by insurance issues. Many of the destroyed homes in Mississippi were not covered by flood insurance because those homes were in areas that have never been flooded in 100 years. Many are paying mortgages on concrete slabs. Government aid has been given to those homeowners. SBA homeowner loans have been given. The farmers in Iowa and other Mid-Western states are fortunate in that they disaster coverage as well as crop insurance. In Mississippi and Louisiana, homeowners are not so fortunate. Any disaster aid first is deducted by any insurance proceeds received. Farmers in Iowa and other Mid-Western receive many subsidies vie the Farm Bills that pass like clock-work in Congress.
Federal disaster aid will start coming in to help our fellow Americans in Iowa. The severity of the floods in Iowa affected many lives. I wish them well in rebuilding their lives. The floods of Katrina were massive and wide-ranging. It is that severity which dictates that some here are still in FEMA trailers 2 1/2 years later. It is that severity which dictates that some are still living with family or friends 2 1/2 years later. It is that severity which dictates that some who evacuated will never be able to return to the place they called home. The severity of the flood does dictate the rate of recovery. The Mississippi Gulf Coast alone lost 25% of its homes and a further 20% of its rental housing.
I know that the majority of those in Iowa will rebuild with the same determination as those in Mississippi and Louisiana. They will be able to get the job done much sooner because the severity of the floods in Iowa do not even come close to the severity of damage we in Louisiana and Mississippi suffered.
Update: Thank you Instapundit for linking.
Update 2: I wished I would have thought to post the following links earlier:
Chabad Flood Relief
Iowa Salvation Army
Iowa Red Cross
Humane Society Disaster Relief
Those scenes were repeated hundreds of thousands of times in Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina hit. For those in Mississippi, many of those 65,000 homeowners only found the slabs. Hours were spent trying to find the precious photos of children growing up, of weddings, of graduations, of grandparents and parents.
It is no easy task to rebuild communities. In Louisiana and Mississippi, we are faced with the prospect of rebuilding close to 200,000 homes. The largest city in Iowa is Des Moines. It has a population(194,000) near to the number of homes Hurricane Katrina destroyed. Try to imagine having to rebuild a city that size and then maybe you can grasp the scope of the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
This from Tigerhawk still upsets me. It did touch a nerve.
Katrina has become a metaphor for many things beyond natural disaster, including governmental and individual incompetence (depending on your point of view). In Iowa there is a 500 year flood, but the people are not paralyzed, whining, or looting. There will be no massive relief effort from around the world, and nobody will step up to help Iowans except for other Iowans. Yet years from now, there will be no Iowans still in FEMA camps.
The difference is not in the severity of the flood, but in the people who confront the flood.
UPDATE (late Sunday afternoon): This post obviously touched a nerve. Oops. I certainly could have chosen my words more carefully. Sorry if I ruined Father's Day for any of you.
I guess we in Mississippi and Louisiana will have to wave our magic wands and poof, 200,000 homes will have magically been rebuilt in 2 1/2 years. I keep giving the numbers for houses destroyed. The 200,000 doesn't even begin to include the number of homes damaged. Look at it this way, in the six coastal counties directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, there were only 3,000 homeowners who did not have to file an insurance claim.
We in Mississippi and Louisiana have made great strides to rebuild our homes and communities. Hurricane Katrina, even though only a Catagory 3 storm as measured by NOAA, was a 500 year storm for us. The massive storm surge has been guestimated by NOAA to have been 28 feet in Bay St Louis. I believe that is wrong. It was 24 feet in Biloxi's Back Bay, 20-25 miles from bay St Louis. The storm surge extended into Alabama as well. It was 10 feet there.
The severity of the flood does matter. I take exception to Tigerhawk and his remarks about the 6,384 Mississippians still living in FEMA trailers. Considering that there used to be 40,000 of the FEMA trailers, we've hardly been "paralyzed". Instead of denigrating us, Tigerhawk and others of his ilk should be celebrating with us in Mississippi and Louisiana that we have confronted the flood and are making great progress in rebuilding our streets, our homes, our communities, and our lives. There are some who are taking advantage. It is telling that the vast majority of those prosecuted for Katrina aid fraud did not even live in Mississippi or Louisiana.
It doesn't matter were you live when a disaster strikes. There will always be those few who take advantage of the situation. Photos of looters in Louisiana were splashed across the airwaves. Mississippi had looters as well. Even Iowa has had its looters. Are to judge every Iowan by these two? No, of course not. Just as those in Louisiana and Mississippi should not be judged by its looters and those who are taking advantage of the generosity of Americans citizens and the Federal government.
Not only have we in Mississippi and Louisiana confronted the flood and begun the task of rebuilding, we've done so while being hampered by insurance issues. Many of the destroyed homes in Mississippi were not covered by flood insurance because those homes were in areas that have never been flooded in 100 years. Many are paying mortgages on concrete slabs. Government aid has been given to those homeowners. SBA homeowner loans have been given. The farmers in Iowa and other Mid-Western states are fortunate in that they disaster coverage as well as crop insurance. In Mississippi and Louisiana, homeowners are not so fortunate. Any disaster aid first is deducted by any insurance proceeds received. Farmers in Iowa and other Mid-Western receive many subsidies vie the Farm Bills that pass like clock-work in Congress.
Federal disaster aid will start coming in to help our fellow Americans in Iowa. The severity of the floods in Iowa affected many lives. I wish them well in rebuilding their lives. The floods of Katrina were massive and wide-ranging. It is that severity which dictates that some here are still in FEMA trailers 2 1/2 years later. It is that severity which dictates that some are still living with family or friends 2 1/2 years later. It is that severity which dictates that some who evacuated will never be able to return to the place they called home. The severity of the flood does dictate the rate of recovery. The Mississippi Gulf Coast alone lost 25% of its homes and a further 20% of its rental housing.
I know that the majority of those in Iowa will rebuild with the same determination as those in Mississippi and Louisiana. They will be able to get the job done much sooner because the severity of the floods in Iowa do not even come close to the severity of damage we in Louisiana and Mississippi suffered.
Update: Thank you Instapundit for linking.
Update 2: I wished I would have thought to post the following links earlier:
Chabad Flood Relief
Iowa Salvation Army
Iowa Red Cross
Humane Society Disaster Relief
Sunday, June 15, 2008
We Confronted the Flood
Tigerhawk posted about the floods in Iowa. Like many others, he couldn't resist a jab at at certain perceptions people have about Hurricane Katrina. To quote:
This seems to be the current in thing: Bash the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. There seems to be a great deal of smugness in calling us paralyzed, whiny, looters. Sorry Tigerhawk. The severity of the flood can be the difference in whether are not people are still living in FEMA parks 2 1/2 years later.
The flooding occurring in Cedar Rapids is affecting a population of 124,000. Currently 3,000 people are having to evacuate from that city.
Let's put some prospective on the severity of the floods. A total of 65,000 homes in Mississippi were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. A further 35,000 had to be demolished because the damage was so great. A total of 100,000 homes gone for a pre-Katrina population along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Cedar Rapids population is 124,000.
The city of New Orleans lost over 100,000 homes of a pre-Katrina population of 475,000.
Hurricane Katrina destroyed more homes than the number of people who live in Cedar Rapids.
How long does it take to rebuild over 200,000 homes? A hint: The year after Hurricane Katrina saw 7,500 new homes built along the Mississippi Coast.
How long does it take to rebuild the apartment buildings destroyed?
While people are waiting for the chance to rebuild, where should they live? Would you prefer they live in FEMA trailers or in tents?
One of the greatest things to come out of Hurricane Katrina was the number of people who were willing to help another. Food, water, and shelter were shared with neighbor. The Mexican Army was on the beaches of Biloxi helping. People from Canada and Denmark were helping. Even Kuwait has helped. Should we have not accepted their help? Should we have turned down the help of hundreds of thousands volunteers from across the United States?
It is great that Iowans are helping their neighbors out. This is what is continuing to happen in New Orleans and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our definition of neighbor now includes the entirety of the United States because of all those from Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Florida, New York, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and the rest of the States who saw their neighbors in need and helped. And it is continuing. Hundreds of thousands have been able to look past the infamous images of looters and realized their neighbors needed help. The past 2 1/2 years has been the biggest damned barn-raiser this country has ever seen.
H/T: Instapundit
Update: UPDATE: I'll certainly be happy not to be reading stories like this from Iowa.
I'm not going to make excuses for these two women featured in the article. What they are doing is wrong. It should be pointed out they do not represent the majority of those living in FEMA assisted housing. As of May, 6,384 FEMA trailers and mobile homes still being used. After Hurricane Katrina, there around 40,000 of them. Clearly, we are sitting around doing nothing around here and all of us are shiftless sorts who would receive government assistance than help ourselves!!!
As always, bad news tends to receive the spotlight. For every Andrea Ramey and others like her, there are thousands more stories like Lance and his family. He and his family of four lived in a FEMA trailer for 2 years. These trailers are 5"x10". Lance and his wife and children lived in those close quarters and managed to not only rebuild their home but also helped Lance's Mom and Dad rebuild theirs. They both worked full-time jobs while doing so.
Here's another way of looking at it. I personally know 128 people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Out of that number, 2 are still in FEMA trailers. Yeah, right. Katrina survivors are clearly a bunch of "paralyzed, whiny, looters" who want nothing more than to live off of government handouts!!!
Also, there are stories like Tracy and her husband. They lost their home in Hurricane Katrina. Their first thoughts and actions were to help their neighbors. They volunteered to help.
South Mississippians helped out their Tennessee neighbors when tornadoes struck. Mississippians also raised money to help those in Greensburg Kansas. And that wasn't all. Here's a story youwon't see in the news.
In any major disaster there will always be those who will take advantage. It is ironic that those stories are the ones which receive the most attention when the greater stories are those of people helping one another. It has become fashionable to bash those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Perceptions are formed and hard to dislodge when news reports focus on human failings instead of human triumphs. Out of close to a million people who were affected by Hurricane Katrina, the focus is on the handful who did abuse the generosity of Americans. Some might hold the opinion that all of us in Hurricane Katrina's swath of destruction are taking advantage by accepting the Federal aid which has poured in. It would have been nice if Mississippi and Louisiana didn't need the financial assistance. The area of Katrina's destruction is almost the size of the entire country of England. Not only were homes swept away but the underpinnings of civilization swept away. Power lines, sewer lines, water lines, gas lines, roads, phone lines, city halls, police and fire stations were also swept away. Businesses were swept away.
I don't know if Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit or if Tigerhawk have visited the Mississippi Gulf Coast or New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit. The scope of the disaster cannot be comprehended from news reports or documentaries. It can barely be comprehended by those who are living here. We have done much to improve are lives since Katrina hit. We still have so much to do. Those 200,000 homes will not be rebuilt overnight nor even in a few years. Infrastructure is still ongoing. We have pulled together.
Update: Instapundit has reposted links he had for Hurricane Katrina for those who want to help our fellow countrymen in Iowa.
The Iowa Salvation Army
The Iowa Red Cross
Katrina has become a metaphor for many things beyond natural disaster, including governmental and individual incompetence (depending on your point of view). In Iowa there is a 500 year flood, but the people are not paralyzed, whining, or looting. There will be no massive relief effort from around the world, and nobody will step up to help Iowans except for other Iowans. Yet years from now, there will be no Iowans still in FEMA camps.
The difference is not in the severity of the flood, but in the people who confront the flood.
This seems to be the current in thing: Bash the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. There seems to be a great deal of smugness in calling us paralyzed, whiny, looters. Sorry Tigerhawk. The severity of the flood can be the difference in whether are not people are still living in FEMA parks 2 1/2 years later.
The flooding occurring in Cedar Rapids is affecting a population of 124,000. Currently 3,000 people are having to evacuate from that city.
Let's put some prospective on the severity of the floods. A total of 65,000 homes in Mississippi were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. A further 35,000 had to be demolished because the damage was so great. A total of 100,000 homes gone for a pre-Katrina population along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Cedar Rapids population is 124,000.
The city of New Orleans lost over 100,000 homes of a pre-Katrina population of 475,000.
Hurricane Katrina destroyed more homes than the number of people who live in Cedar Rapids.
How long does it take to rebuild over 200,000 homes? A hint: The year after Hurricane Katrina saw 7,500 new homes built along the Mississippi Coast.
How long does it take to rebuild the apartment buildings destroyed?
While people are waiting for the chance to rebuild, where should they live? Would you prefer they live in FEMA trailers or in tents?
One of the greatest things to come out of Hurricane Katrina was the number of people who were willing to help another. Food, water, and shelter were shared with neighbor. The Mexican Army was on the beaches of Biloxi helping. People from Canada and Denmark were helping. Even Kuwait has helped. Should we have not accepted their help? Should we have turned down the help of hundreds of thousands volunteers from across the United States?
It is great that Iowans are helping their neighbors out. This is what is continuing to happen in New Orleans and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our definition of neighbor now includes the entirety of the United States because of all those from Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Florida, New York, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and the rest of the States who saw their neighbors in need and helped. And it is continuing. Hundreds of thousands have been able to look past the infamous images of looters and realized their neighbors needed help. The past 2 1/2 years has been the biggest damned barn-raiser this country has ever seen.
H/T: Instapundit
Update: UPDATE: I'll certainly be happy not to be reading stories like this from Iowa.
What are people who receive FEMA assistance doing to help themselves? That's the question NBC 15's Andrea Ramey asked those who have been staying for free in hotel rooms after they moved out of FEMA supplied travel trailers. What she found out is there are some who are doing very little.
I'm not going to make excuses for these two women featured in the article. What they are doing is wrong. It should be pointed out they do not represent the majority of those living in FEMA assisted housing. As of May, 6,384 FEMA trailers and mobile homes still being used. After Hurricane Katrina, there around 40,000 of them. Clearly, we are sitting around doing nothing around here and all of us are shiftless sorts who would receive government assistance than help ourselves!!!
As always, bad news tends to receive the spotlight. For every Andrea Ramey and others like her, there are thousands more stories like Lance and his family. He and his family of four lived in a FEMA trailer for 2 years. These trailers are 5"x10". Lance and his wife and children lived in those close quarters and managed to not only rebuild their home but also helped Lance's Mom and Dad rebuild theirs. They both worked full-time jobs while doing so.
Here's another way of looking at it. I personally know 128 people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Out of that number, 2 are still in FEMA trailers. Yeah, right. Katrina survivors are clearly a bunch of "paralyzed, whiny, looters" who want nothing more than to live off of government handouts!!!
Also, there are stories like Tracy and her husband. They lost their home in Hurricane Katrina. Their first thoughts and actions were to help their neighbors. They volunteered to help.
South Mississippians helped out their Tennessee neighbors when tornadoes struck. Mississippians also raised money to help those in Greensburg Kansas. And that wasn't all. Here's a story youwon't see in the news.
In any major disaster there will always be those who will take advantage. It is ironic that those stories are the ones which receive the most attention when the greater stories are those of people helping one another. It has become fashionable to bash those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Perceptions are formed and hard to dislodge when news reports focus on human failings instead of human triumphs. Out of close to a million people who were affected by Hurricane Katrina, the focus is on the handful who did abuse the generosity of Americans. Some might hold the opinion that all of us in Hurricane Katrina's swath of destruction are taking advantage by accepting the Federal aid which has poured in. It would have been nice if Mississippi and Louisiana didn't need the financial assistance. The area of Katrina's destruction is almost the size of the entire country of England. Not only were homes swept away but the underpinnings of civilization swept away. Power lines, sewer lines, water lines, gas lines, roads, phone lines, city halls, police and fire stations were also swept away. Businesses were swept away.
I don't know if Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit or if Tigerhawk have visited the Mississippi Gulf Coast or New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit. The scope of the disaster cannot be comprehended from news reports or documentaries. It can barely be comprehended by those who are living here. We have done much to improve are lives since Katrina hit. We still have so much to do. Those 200,000 homes will not be rebuilt overnight nor even in a few years. Infrastructure is still ongoing. We have pulled together.
Update: Instapundit has reposted links he had for Hurricane Katrina for those who want to help our fellow countrymen in Iowa.
The Iowa Salvation Army
The Iowa Red Cross
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Hurricane Katrina's Storm Surge
Recently, it was reported that those affected by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana have filed a $ 3 quadrillion lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers. After a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina, it is natural to lash at out. To me, this lawsuit is outrageous. It seeks to blame the Army Corps of Engineers solely for the flooding the New Orleans suffered. Most tend to ignore the impact of Hurricane Katrina's storm surge. The photo below was taken at Entergy's Michoud plant. It clearly shows the storm surge over topping the levee. Michoud is in St. Bernard Parish and is New Orleans East, close to the Intracoastal Canal.
Little has been reported about the storm surge that occurred in the Mississippi River.
New Orleans was virtually surrounded by Hurricane Katrina's storm surge. From the south, it came from the Mississippi River. From the east it came from Lake Borgne and the marshlands, and from the north, Lake Pontchartrain.
New Orleans did suffer from the affects of Katrina's storm surge:
This computer model at the Advanced Circulation Development Group shows the storm surge as Katrina came ashore. It also shows how the wind pushed the storm surge to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and then south toward New Orleans.
Not only was New Orleans threatened by Katrina's storm surge but rainfall was a factor. Since the majority of New Orleans is below sea level, pumps are used extensively during rain fall. Because of power failures, these pumps were inoperative. These pumps usually direct the water into Lake Pontchartrain.
The force of a storm surge cannot be discounted. From my understanding, the levees along the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain began to fail about the time the winds from Hurricane Katrina started coming from the north. All the water built up in the lake from Katrina's storm surge was heading south east toward New Orleans.
Mississippi received the burnt of Katrina's storm surge. Two and half years later, I still see the affects everyday. A massive wall of water extending from the Mississippi River to the Florida panhandle inundated coastal Mississippi and the New Orleans area.
There were many factors at play when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. The surge in the Mississippi River, the surge on the eastern side of New Orleans, and the surge that impacted the levees New Orleans north. Also, the pumps were not working and could not deal with the rain water that fell in the city.
The failures of the levees are still being investigated. There is one thing that is not in doubt: Katrina's storm surge was massive and unprecedented. Water is a force. And due to the topography of New Orleans, that water had no place to go. Maybe when future studies come at, the physical force of all that water will have been measured.
It is the nature of water to flow to the lowest level. Most of New Orleans and the surrounding area is below sea level. Something had to give and just perhaps that is what caused the levee failures. It is interesting to note that the levees along the Mississippi River seemingly trapped the storm surge and did not allow that water to naturally flow back into the Gulf of Mexico.
It will interesting to see those results. Unlike the Mississippi Gulf Coast, when Hurricane Katrina passed on, the storm surge had no place to go except into the city of New Orleans itself.
Little has been reported about the storm surge that occurred in the Mississippi River.
The simulation also indicates Katrina pushed a substantial storm surge up the Mississippi River, rising close to the top of river levees in the New Orleans area and even overtopping them at one point in Algiers.
To the east, as the storm itself moves closer to New Orleans, the model shows northeasterly winds pushing a wall of water directly against one hurricane levee and over the top, flooding St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward. Photographs and surveys show that levee took heavy damage in the storm.
New Orleans was virtually surrounded by Hurricane Katrina's storm surge. From the south, it came from the Mississippi River. From the east it came from Lake Borgne and the marshlands, and from the north, Lake Pontchartrain.
New Orleans did suffer from the affects of Katrina's storm surge:
The figure to the left(above, ed) is the most accurate model available of the storm surge. It missed New Orleans and the maximum impact was along the Mississippi Coast. Note the submergence of the entire outer delta except the levees and jetty, especially along the west side of the Mississippi River. Note also how the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway intensified the surge at New Orleans.
This computer model at the Advanced Circulation Development Group shows the storm surge as Katrina came ashore. It also shows how the wind pushed the storm surge to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and then south toward New Orleans.
Not only was New Orleans threatened by Katrina's storm surge but rainfall was a factor. Since the majority of New Orleans is below sea level, pumps are used extensively during rain fall. Because of power failures, these pumps were inoperative. These pumps usually direct the water into Lake Pontchartrain.
The force of a storm surge cannot be discounted. From my understanding, the levees along the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain began to fail about the time the winds from Hurricane Katrina started coming from the north. All the water built up in the lake from Katrina's storm surge was heading south east toward New Orleans.
Mississippi received the burnt of Katrina's storm surge. Two and half years later, I still see the affects everyday. A massive wall of water extending from the Mississippi River to the Florida panhandle inundated coastal Mississippi and the New Orleans area.
The inland penetration of Katrina's storm surge was truly remarkable. The Mississippi River levee system held and confined most of the surge east of the river except for the landfall region of Buras, LA. Regions west of the Mississippi River experienced little surge, suggesting that the river levee system may have augmented Katrina's surge on the east side. Most of Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and eastern Orleans Parishes were inundated with surge which overflowed levees and destroyed them with scouring action. Buildings outside the levee system became cement slabs. Tide gauges also show the surge traveled up the Mississippi River, with elevation spikes reaching 14 feet at the Bonnet Carre Spillway 10 miles west of New Orleans. Levees along some canals south of Lake Pontchartrain were not overtopped but experienced failures that are still under investigation, causing well-publicized flooding of New Orleans. The surge also penetrated through inoperative flood pumps which, when combined with the inability to remove rainwater, caused moderate flooding in the suburban region west of New Orleans. The eastern end of St. Tammany Parish suffered an extreme surge which came from Lake Borgne as well as up the Pearl and Bonfouca river systems, traveling miles inland in Slidell. St. Tammany's surge was associated with the wind shift as Katrina moved inland, sloshing piled-up water in Lake Pontchartrain northeastward.
There were many factors at play when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. The surge in the Mississippi River, the surge on the eastern side of New Orleans, and the surge that impacted the levees New Orleans north. Also, the pumps were not working and could not deal with the rain water that fell in the city.
The failures of the levees are still being investigated. There is one thing that is not in doubt: Katrina's storm surge was massive and unprecedented. Water is a force. And due to the topography of New Orleans, that water had no place to go. Maybe when future studies come at, the physical force of all that water will have been measured.
It is the nature of water to flow to the lowest level. Most of New Orleans and the surrounding area is below sea level. Something had to give and just perhaps that is what caused the levee failures. It is interesting to note that the levees along the Mississippi River seemingly trapped the storm surge and did not allow that water to naturally flow back into the Gulf of Mexico.
Because of the possible role of the Mississippi River levee system trapping the surge, simulations are underway to examine the surge evolution if there was no levee. In addition, Louisiana has experienced extreme wetland erosion in the last 50 years. ADCIRC simulations of Katrina with Louisiana's wetland topography from 1920 and 1970 are in development. These sensitivity experiments will be shown at the conference.
It will interesting to see those results. Unlike the Mississippi Gulf Coast, when Hurricane Katrina passed on, the storm surge had no place to go except into the city of New Orleans itself.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Rumors
During Hurricane Katrina, rumors were rampant about what was going on in the Superdome and the Convention Center. I must admit, I was too busy dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in my hometown of Gulfport Mississippi and it wasn't until months later I was able to learn what occurred there.
But the inaccurate news reports of rapes, murders, and gunfire aimed at rescue helicopters exacerbated the problems. Unfounded rumors may have led to help being delayed. Who was spreading the unconfirmed rumors? The news media were broadcasting these unconfirmed reports and those reports may have slowed down much needed help.
Contrasts are now being made between the emergency response to the wildfires in California and the emergency response in New Orleans. Confederate Yankee, in his post, Pink and Gray lists some of them. He also links to Bill Whittle's Tribes which was written immediately after Hurricane Katrina. Below is an excerpt:
The thing is, Bill Whittle wrote that in September 2005. This is after digesting all the horribly inaccurate news reports being broadcast about New Orleans. If the news media had just gone and talked to Major Bush of the Louisiana National Guard, they would have found out the truth. Far from the Superdome being a jungle of violence, there was control and even in the Superdome, neighbors were helping neighbors.
The people in New Orleans were not the lawless thugs the news media tried to portray. Like in Mississippi, ordinary people rescued their neighbors and tried to help one another. The biggest problem in New Orleans was Mayor Ray Nagin. While mayors along the Mississippi Gulf Coast were speaking words of encouragement, Nagin was afraid to go into the Superdome and talk to people. While government officials in Mississippi and California followed their emergency plans, the city of New Orleans did not.
And the problems of leadership are still occurring in New Orleans.
The people of New Orleans are resilient and are working together to rebuild. It is the rumors reported as news that lead to the perception of those in New Orleans not being resilient.
But the inaccurate news reports of rapes, murders, and gunfire aimed at rescue helicopters exacerbated the problems. Unfounded rumors may have led to help being delayed. Who was spreading the unconfirmed rumors? The news media were broadcasting these unconfirmed reports and those reports may have slowed down much needed help.
Contrasts are now being made between the emergency response to the wildfires in California and the emergency response in New Orleans. Confederate Yankee, in his post, Pink and Gray lists some of them. He also links to Bill Whittle's Tribes which was written immediately after Hurricane Katrina. Below is an excerpt:
That has nothing to do with me being white. If the blacks and Hispanics and Jews and gays that I work with and associate with were there with me, it would have been that much better. That’s because the people I associate with – my Tribe – consists not of blacks and whites and gays and Hispanics and Asians, but of individuals who do not rape, murder, or steal. My Tribe consists of people who know that sometimes bad things happen, and that these instances are opportunities to show ourselves what we are made of. My people go into burning buildings. My Tribe consists of organizers and self-starters, proud and self-reliant people who do not need to be told what to do in a crisis. My Tribe is not fearless; they are something better. They are courageous. My Tribe is honorable, and decent, and kind, and inventive. My Tribe knows how to give orders, and how to follow them. My Tribe knows enough about how the world works to figure out ways to boil water, ration food, repair structures, build and maintain makeshift latrines, and care for the wounded and the dead with respect and compassion.
There are some things my Tribe is not good at at all. My Tribe doesn't make excuses. My Tribe will analyze failure and assign blame, but that is to make sure that we do better next time, and we never, ever waste valuable energy and time doing so while people are still in danger. My Tribe says, and in their heart completely believes that it's the other guy that's the hero. My Tribe does not believe that a single Man can cause, prevent or steer Hurricanes, and my Tribe does not and has never made someone else responsible for their own safety, and that of their loved ones.
The thing is, Bill Whittle wrote that in September 2005. This is after digesting all the horribly inaccurate news reports being broadcast about New Orleans. If the news media had just gone and talked to Major Bush of the Louisiana National Guard, they would have found out the truth. Far from the Superdome being a jungle of violence, there was control and even in the Superdome, neighbors were helping neighbors.
We would hear stuff from the Convention Center, too, and we were like, "Ah jeez, it must be really really bad down there, because it's not like that here. I mean it sucks here, but there's certainly not babies being raped...."
I mean, can I unequivocally say that no woman got felt up by some other man in the Superdome? No. I think it's reasonable to think that if you cram that many people off the street together, someone's going to push the envelope, someone's going to cross the line. And I'm sure that there were rapists and child molesters in that group of people.... Anytime you're going to bring in everybody off the street you're going to bring some pretty unseasonable characters. But in all the screening we did of everybody coming through, I think they only confiscated like forty-some weapons. Which is I don't think anywhere near what you'd expect....
But for the most part this was 19,900 people who were just devastated, and desperate, and tired, and scared, because they probably had lost family or didn't know where some family was, and faced with the unknown of not knowing what tomorrow's going to bring. All they knew was that the New Orleans Superdome was a horrible place to live. But they also kind of knew it was the best place around, at least right now. And they knew that they just kind of had to suck it up and endure it with us. I told them every day, you know, "We're still here folks. You saw us here on Sunday, and we're not leaving until y'all are out of here." And they kind of believed it, they hung on.
But New Orleans, I guess my last point is, I kind of feel upset. Because I have some pictures of a Dad reading stories to his kid. I have a picture of a lady who—I don't know what the hell she was thinking when she brought it—but she brought her clown suit, and make-up, and she's in full clown garb, and she's got a wig on, and a nose and everything, and she sat there for days and painted kids' faces all day long. I have 20 amazing stories of people taking care of each other for every one incident of someone stealing, or someone taking somebody's stuff, or someone trying to get into somebody else's business, or someone laying their hands on somebody.
The people in New Orleans were not the lawless thugs the news media tried to portray. Like in Mississippi, ordinary people rescued their neighbors and tried to help one another. The biggest problem in New Orleans was Mayor Ray Nagin. While mayors along the Mississippi Gulf Coast were speaking words of encouragement, Nagin was afraid to go into the Superdome and talk to people. While government officials in Mississippi and California followed their emergency plans, the city of New Orleans did not.
And the problems of leadership are still occurring in New Orleans.
If there's any good news to come out of the recovery effort it's that people in the hurricane zone have learned to become less reliant on political saviors and more reliant on themselves. In May 2007, the highly-regarded University of New Orleans Survey Research Center released their annual survey on quality of life in Orleans Parish. For "the first time in twenty years," the survey reported, "something rivaled crime as the ‘biggest' problem facing New Orleans." That problem was dissatisfaction with the local political leadership-just one-third of New Orleanians approved of Mayor Nagin's performance in office.
The people of New Orleans are resilient and are working together to rebuild. It is the rumors reported as news that lead to the perception of those in New Orleans not being resilient.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)