Life after Katrina

Woody13

Woody13

New Member
Debbie said:
Hey Woody :). How wide was the eye?
Do you know of any links showing extensive pics of the Gulf Coast?
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I don't really know the size of the eye in Katrina. The NWS won't release it's official data until after the hurricane season is over. Corrus may know the actual size of the eye.

Here are some of the best pictures I have found of the gulf coast re the Katrina destruction. The first link shows the NOAA satellite photos of the gulf coast. The second link has both satellite photos and panoramic shots of the gulf coast destruction.

http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/katrina/KATRINA0000.HTM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2005/09/01/CU2005090101358.html

I have a DVD showing the destruction from Ivan last year and I'll send you a copy if you desire. Just PM me with an address. :wave:

I liked seeing the links that you provided. Very good photos!
 
orleans97

orleans97

Member
I am from the New Orleans area.Kenner for those who know.Anyway I sustained NO damage of any kind, water or wind.Nothing, so I am considering myself extremely lucky.That and I went to Disney for the duration of the storm.Came back 3 days after storm hit, thanks to a commercial vehicle and my job.I work for MICROS, those in the restaurant business know MICROS, So I work downtown New Orleans alot and downtown looks almost as it left.Little damage from what I see.The worst damage seems to be done from looting and the windows at the top of the taller skyscrapers.In the riverwalk the stores like Limited, are empty the only clothes left in the store are the ones the looters took off.I myself have got about 30 restaurants up and running with their computer systems along with 6 hotels and a ton of bars.New Orleans is coming back strong and hard.Mardi Gras will be happening this year, albeit smaller but will be on.Also Disney was great but I will be returning for February for my annual trip and enjoy EE hopefully.Well, thanks all for the kind wishes and regards, New Orleans will be back sooner than anyone thinks.
 
Debbie

Debbie

Well-Known Member
Life here is trying to get back to normal and I'm wondering if we are going to have a new definition of normal. Almost two months later, Wal-Mart is still closing at 7pm due to a shortage of employess, and the inability to keep the shelves stocked. The McDonalds, Sonic, etc, are closing by 7pm. I'm just wondering if, to save man hours, that some of these places are going to have to close on Sunday (like the olden days)?
Mail only runs twice a week and we get maybe two pieces per delivery.
Alot of people from Saint Bernard are still in limbo as to what to do----build/rebuild, can I? or can't I?
and the Orleans Parish School System is truly pathetic...........and if they don't get it together VERY soon, the Bring Back New Orleans campaign will only need be focused on Single/Childless Couples.
 
L

LouDisney

New Member
Debbie, thanks for the update. I used to live in New Orleans and your updates help, along with reading Nola.com. My friends that lived there, well, they are other places right now, so getting updates from someone that is back, it really helps. I am glad things are getting back to normal for you, as normal as they can be.
 
Woody13

Woody13

New Member
Debbie said:
Life here is trying to get back to normal and I'm wondering if we are going to have a new definition of normal. Almost two months later, Wal-Mart is still closing at 7pm due to a shortage of employess, and the inability to keep the shelves stocked. The McDonalds, Sonic, etc, are closing by 7pm. I'm just wondering if, to save man hours, that some of these places are going to have to close on Sunday (like the olden days)?
Mail only runs twice a week and we get maybe two pieces per delivery.
Alot of people from Saint Bernard are still in limbo as to what to do----build/rebuild, can I? or can't I?
and the Orleans Parish School System is truly pathetic...........and if they don't get it together VERY soon, the Bring Back New Orleans campaign will only need be focused on Single/Childless Couples.
Click to expand...
I expect you'll see slow but steady improvement over the next year. We're still not back to "normal" after Ivan and Dennis. There is a major housing shortage in our area and property values have gone way up. For example, the average house that sold for $125,000 last year is now selling for $230,000, if you can find one! Costs for building materials (lumber, roof shingles, sheetrock, plywood, etc.) have gone way up too and all building materials are in very short supply. Also, it is difficult to find skilled craftsmen.

I spent the better part of this past weekend helping my daughter to re-roof her house. I have been working with my son and several neighborhood friends to repair homes in our area. We're doing this because the cost of repairs has gotten out of the reach of many people. The same thing is going to happen (if it hasn't already) in your area. You're going to find that before Katrina you could re-roof the average house for $3,500 but after Katrina the price has jumped to $9,000 or more.

What it all boils down to is the simple economic principle of supply and demand. Houses, building materials and skilled workers are all in very short supply and the demand has never been greater! Therefore the costs have skyrocketed. It's been just over a year since Ivan and we're not back to "normal". I am so sick of the sound of chainsaws I could scream! I still need to paint my living room ceiling with Kilz primer and re-carpet the house and.....
 
Debbie

Debbie

Well-Known Member
Woody13 said:
I expect you'll see slow but steady improvement over the next year. We're still not back to "normal" after Ivan and Dennis. There is a major housing shortage in our area and property values have gone way up. For example, the average house that sold for $125,000 last year is now selling for $230,000, if you can find one! Costs for building materials (lumber, roof shingles, sheetrock, plywood, etc.) have gone way up too and all building materials are in very short supply. Also, it is difficult to find skilled craftsmen.

I spent the better part of this past weekend helping my daughter to re-roof her house. I have been working with my son and several neighborhood friends to repair homes in our area. We're doing this because the cost of repairs has gotten out of the reach of many people. The same thing is going to happen (if it hasn't already) in your area. You're going to find that before Katrina you could re-roof the average house for $3,500 but after Katrina the price has jumped to $9,000 or more.

What it all boils down to is the simple economic principle of supply and demand. Houses, building materials and skilled workers are all in very short supply and the demand has never been greater! Therefore the costs have skyrocketed. It's been just over a year since Ivan and we're not back to "normal". I am so sick of the sound of chainsaws I could scream! I still need to paint my living room ceiling with Kilz primer and re-carpet the house and.....
Click to expand...


My area has seen a 13% increase in sales prices of homes since Katrina. My next door neighbor couldn't sell his outdated home for $137,000 six months ago. He has an offer of $150,000 now, and it's still outdated (think Harvest Gold appliances, and kitchen countertops with the sparkly gold glitter flakes). Every business is shorthanded, and it gets worse the closer you get to New Orleans. Even businesses that have 98% of their staff back, have seen such an increase in sales, that it appears they are missing alot of employees. The home improvement place in St. John parish was grossing $200,000 per week; now it's $1.2 million. The Wal-Mart here closes at 7pm and I stood in the checkout line for one hour yesterday! The lines were all the way into the clothing sections.
Now, alot of subdivisions are fighting FEMA trailers going into their neighborhoods, and I feel it's just selfish. If I put a FEMA trailer on my property; wouldn't you feel inclined to take responsibility for the people? I mean, I wouldn't put Bonnie and Clyde up, but I'd love to have been able to help many of the elderly that I've run across.
 
Woody13

Woody13

New Member
Indeed, I empathize with your situation. I can tell you that housing prices in your area will continue to go up in the coming months. As for the FEMA trailers, be very careful. The trailers are only designed for temporary housing. Yet, we have found in most areas that many families have moved into FEMA trailers and taken no steps to repair their own homes. They are living rent free in FEMA trailers and they have no desire or incentive to move out. The residents only pay for utilities such as electricity, phone and cable TV. It's a sweet deal for some people.

These FEMA trailer sites have turned into major slums in many areas. Prostitution, illicit drug sales and violent behavior have been rather common. It is my understanding that some of these FEMA trailers will be allowed until 2010! In our area, we stopped all FEMA trailer sites within 6 months after Ivan. I am very willing to help people, but only if they are also willing to help themselves. Or, to put it another way, I am willing to work with you, but you have to work too. In my experience, the FEMA trailer program is an open invitation to welfare cheats!

Also, let's say you get a FEMA trailer in your front yard and a family is living there. What happens in June, 2006 when another big hurricane hits your area? That FEMA trailer is going to be a missile and destroy other property. I realize that it has only been a very short time since Katrina and that lots of emergency help is still required. However, the exigent circumstances have diminished and it is the responsibility of each family to set their course and make their own efforts for recovery. It ain't easy.
 
MKCP 1985

MKCP 1985

Well-Known Member
Hi Debbie, I had the fun of meeting with my homeowners insurance claim adjuster yesterday. . . AND . . . two huge trees that fell in my backyard finally got cleared. Now, if I can just get the 50 foot pine off what used to be my storage shed!

I was given some photos yesterday of the destruction along our Mississippi coast. The visual images are unbelievable. If I can get them posted somewhere, I'll provide a link. They contain images of sea lions wallowing in the streets after the Gulf Life facility was destroyed. Also, looters scavenging chips from a local casino, and then what we are all familiar with - cars in trees, local businesses washed away, matchsticks left of what were once beachfront homes, etc. , etc.

New Normal - :brick: :eek: :( :p
 
Debbie

Debbie

Well-Known Member
Don and I were just talking about where Aerosmith is going to play now that the Mississippi Coast Colliseum, UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans Arena are now damaged. I don't remember the last time a major gig played at the LSU Assembly Center or Riverside Centroplex. So we figure that Mobile or Lafayette will be the closest Aerosmith can get to us.
 
Debbie

Debbie

Well-Known Member
Life after Katrina update:
Wal-Marts are still only open from 7am-7pm (and it will remain that way thru the holidays), Sonic closes at 6pm, McDonalds from 7-7, drive thru only, and everything else closes early or hasn't opened up again. Everything is a limited menu. Applebees had a choice of burger, ribs, chicken tenders, no salad or dessert. French fries or onion rings.
The debris trucks are still running up and down USHwy 90, and making a mess. Many though, have gone home, and I suspect many will leave permanently for Thanksgiving.
My 10 year old went to the Lakeview area Saturday, with some friends of ours (this is what alot of you saw on TV with the 17th Street Canal breach), and he said it was bad. Every adult I know that rides down there is clearly disturbed from what they see. And it doesn't get better from week to week. Insurance adjusters are just coming around to these people, who've lost everything and are living in limbo. It's becoming more and more evident that the New Orleans area has lost a huge percentage of it's population.
 
Debbie

Debbie

Well-Known Member
Has anyone read of the village set up in one of the local malls that includes miniature houses with blue tarps, a shut down pumping station, etc? If one goes to Nola.com a picture should be there. Look for Lakeside Mall village or something on those lines.

Last week, I went to Wal-Mart to get some red tulle to wrap teacher gifts, and the asst. mgr told me that all of the holiday merchandise shipments were sent to Houston because at the time of the sendout; they didn't know if the New Orleans area stores would be open. Needless to say, Christmas red or Christmas green is out the question.............:(
My girlfriend, who's wedding I was supposed to stand in, is ready to install her kitchen cabinets, and her flooring. They are well ahead of the game because they are doing it themselves (all but the roof and flooring). They were given an estimate of $140,000 to completely renovate/repair their 1800 sq, ft home. After pricing out every thing needed, they are looking at spending $40,000 to $45,000. It will be interesting to see how much they actually spend when all is said and done.... I'm trying to talk her into spending a little extra and have her cement stained instead of putting in new ceramic tile. It's a little pricey, but a permanent thing.
 
Debbie

Debbie

Well-Known Member
January 29 update; 5 months after Katrina:
Just thought that since today was an 'anniversary' of sorts, I'd give an update of life:
Not much has changed..................most everything is still limited menus, limited hours, short staffed, etc. Anyone who comes here to visit should cross the Jefferson Parish, Orleans line on Veterans Hwy at nite. I did for the first time Friday, and the feeling I got was undescribable. I wanted to cry for everyone that lived near the 17th Street canal. You go from a half-vibrant Metairie, to the Twilight Zone. Lit streets, lit business signs, lit parking lots, then nothing. No lights, no sign of light. Just blocks and blocks of residences where people once lived their dreams, now vacant, without lights of any sort. Coming back from the French Quarter, one has to know where they are to turn to go back to Veterans Blvd. It's actually frightning in the sense that this was a bustling area, always with traffic, families, kids.
The Wal-Mart in Boutte, where I live, has new hours! 6am to 9pm! I now go to Houma for major shopping since Katrina glanced them and they didn't have the population leaving to never return. Most places here in my community are still dealing with labor shortages.
The French Quarter had more people on Bourbon Street than I expected. But I was surprised at how many businesses haven't reopened: Cat's Meow, Howl at the Moon, Mike Andersons etc. St. Louis Cathedral wasn't lit, nor was Jackson Square. The restaurants are closed by 6pm :(.
Folks, I think we're in for a rough ride..........and a long one.
 
ClemsonTigger

ClemsonTigger

Naturally Grumpy
Debbie said:
January 29 update; 5 months after Katrina:
Just thought that since today was an 'anniversary' of sorts, I'd give an update of life:
Not much has changed..................most everything is still limited menus, limited hours, short staffed, etc. Anyone who comes here to visit should cross the Jefferson Parish, Orleans line on Veterans Hwy at nite. I did for the first time Friday, and the feeling I got was undescribable. I wanted to cry for everyone that lived near the 17th Street canal. You go from a half-vibrant Metairie, to the Twilight Zone. Lit streets, lit business signs, lit parking lots, then nothing. No lights, no sign of light. Just blocks and blocks of residences where people once lived their dreams, now vacant, without lights of any sort. Coming back from the French Quarter, one has to know where they are to turn to go back to Veterans Blvd. It's actually frightning in the sense that this was a bustling area, always with traffic, families, kids.
The Wal-Mart in Boutte, where I live, has new hours! 6am to 9pm! I now go to Houma for major shopping since Katrina glanced them and they didn't have the population leaving to never return. Most places here in my community are still dealing with labor shortages.
The French Quarter had more people on Bourbon Street than I expected. But I was surprised at how many businesses haven't reopened: Cat's Meow, Howl at the Moon, Mike Andersons etc. St. Louis Cathedral wasn't lit, nor was Jackson Square. The restaurants are closed by 6pm :(.
Folks, I think we're in for a rough ride..........and a long one.
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Thanks for the update Debbie. It's important to remember the reality instead of moving on to the next sensation. You're right, it will be a very long ride, and I'm afraid for people like you, it will never return to the NO you knew. Hopefully there will be some things made better, and for folk that choose other paths, I hope they are happy in them.
 

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