Katrina Destruction

We were certainly not prepared for the devastation that Hurricane Katrina caused in New Orleans just over three years ago. The area of the city just north of the French Quarter and south of Lake Pontchartrain was the hardest hit by the flooding when the levy's or dikes were breached and the water flooded the city. The Pontchartrain Landing RV Park was just starting construction when Katrina arrived and was submerged under about ten feet of water, but has since built into a very nice RV Park. The homes in the suburb adjacent to the RV park which is on slightly lower ground were submerged up to their roofs. The French Quarter was flooded with only six to twelve inches of water and survived with very little damage compared to the suburb north of it. The Cajun's or Arcadian's who founded the city of New Orleans built it on an island on the side of the Mississippi River so it is on slightly higher ground.

There are whole city blocks of houses that have been demolished, others that have one or two houses that have been completely rebuilt or repaired and the others are derelict or vacant lots were they have been demolished. There were high rises and commercial buildings that are just shells A very nice home beside a derelict.

Houses have been left to the creeping consumption of vegetation and the demolition of time. Some areas along the waterfront have been cleared of the wreckage and destruction, but most other areas have been left untouched other than the odd home that has been re-built, dotted amongst the mayhem.

Many of the New Orleans residents have not returned and the city structure is not unlike a third world country, as there has been very poor support from both the Federal and State Governments.