Saw New Orleans today.....
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion Archive: Archive October 2005:
Saw New Orleans today.....
My friend and I went to Lakeview, the area you've all heard about on the news, where the levee broke on the 17th St. Canal and flooded the city following hurricane Katrina. We drove around for hours and I photographed a lot of stuff for the *history* CD I'm making for my family.
I've been watching this stuff on the news since August 29, and seeing it in the papers, and listening to talk radio, and talking to the friends I have who live(d) there, and I have to say, nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.
It was utterly devastating. I can't think of another word to describe it. I saw boats and cars in trees, boats in the middle of the road, whole sides of houses blown in. On many streets, the stench was the same as when I returned home after evacuation - only this was OUTSIDE - the entire street and area smelled that way. Every single house and business was ruined. All the contents were ruined and were either piled up against the doors from the inside where the flood waters left them, or had been moved out onto the street. Hundreds upon hundreds of cars that had been moved to medians where people thought they'd be safe on higher ground if their streets flooded, had been totally submerged under the flood water. Roofs missing.....bicycles, swing sets, toys, dishes, clothing, personal items - all scattered everywhere.
There were a handful of people trying to *clean* out their homes and they were wearing masks and gloves, etc. It was just heartbreaking. The look in their eyes told quite a story. We saw other homes where workers had on haz-mat suits, due to the mold and other stuff in there. Many homes have For Sale signs in what's left of the yards, I guess the owners don't want to return.
We traveled further to the lakefront. At West End, were the yacht harbor and many old seafood restaurants, as well as many privately owned *boathouse residences* - the ones where the boat dock is underneath and the housing is above - and some marine businesses were, almost everything is totally gone. All the restaurants and boathouses are gone. The boats from the yacht harbor are blown all over the place, piled up, the yacht harbor itself burned after the hurricane. The businesses that survived are heavily damaged.
Landmarks and places that have been there for decades are totally wiped out. We didn't go to the lower 9th ward, we had seen enough. It certainly made us pause and think and be thankful that we were not affected in that way. So many lives have been destroyed, they will never be the same. It's like a bomb went off, there is nothing livable left, and no one left.
It makes me want to cry for all these people, I thought I'd be OK with it, after all, I've seen the photos and videos for nearly 2 months now, but seeing it in person really puts it into perspective. It made me feel embarrassed and very *small* for being upset over the little I had to deal with, my problems were NOTHING compared to what those people have to deal with. And they will be dealing with it for a long time to come.
 (nothing else to say)
I'm so sorry.
I just wanted to share that with all of you. We all see the damage left behind every year during hurricane season. For me, seeing it with my own eyes just really made an impression that seeing it on TV and in magazines couldn't possibly touch.
It really is mind-numbing - HOW do you start to rebuild your life after that???
That must have been so hard for you, sorry.
I can't imagine what some of those people are going to do now!
I can't imagine either
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