Our Visit to
New Orleans
February 25, 2006

  1. An amazing person: 83 year-old Linda Bergeron who lost everything and still lives in a tent city in Chalmett, outside New Orleans. She is concerned about her friends and neighbors.
  2. The spirit of the United Church of God congregation in New Orleans on February 25th
  3. The Katrina Blog

We visited the devastation of post-Katrina on February 25, 2006.  The hurricane had come through six months earlier on August 29th.  90% of the city of New Orleans is still abandoned with the overwhelming rebuilding process still much ahead with a great deal of uncertainty for as to how and even whether certain sections of the city will be rebuilt. 

You cannot fully understand what havoc has taken place until you visit the area yourself.  You will sense vastness of the destruction.  You will see a traumatized community. You will also see the good aspects of care, sharing, sacrifice and friendship that only a common adversity makes possible. We were sobered by what we saw.  We were encouraged by people who had suffered and showed determination to go ahead. 

I want to share with you photos of our excursion from the home of pastor Andy Burnett who lives in Slidell nine feet above sea level....on a mountain top by New Orleans standards. As pastor he did a magnificent job of helping distribute LifeNets aid in the community. He has shown compassionate and measured leadership in responding to needs courageously and wisely. We appreciate staying with him and his family while on this visit. 

Interstate 10 across Lake Pontchartrain

Andy Burnett shows Bev and me some of the devastation

 

Complete neighborhoods are abandoned.  Who wants to be the first to return?

Big buildings everywhere destroyed

A cargo container still floating in low lying area. I wonder what's inside that has been lost

A destroyed motel

A damaged upscale neighborhood

A new dump just to collect the debris of a city 90% destroyed

Six Flags inoperable

A bank with all the doors open

A typical sight.  People who's home have been damaged living in FEMA trailers

A home with a repaired garage. Flood waters had been half-way up the wall. 

One of the canals (17th Street) higher than the surrounding the city.

A devastated and abandoned shopping center

 

 

A blue roof means that it's damaged and needs to be repaired

New Orleans skyline

Hit Counter

Devastation six months after the hurricane 

Cleanup is endless process

One of several Gulf refineries. This one was near Chalmett is starting to refine gasoline again.

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Some homes cannot be repaired. They need to be removed completely

Tent city where Mrs. Linda Bergeron STILL lives.  We were not allowed to take pictures here, however, we have photos taken by others.  See more.

Signs urging positive thinking

One of many blank billboards

Anger and frustration manifested

Canal connecting the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain

Another abandoned neighborhood

FEMA trailers not yet given out

It it is still uncertain how long people will live like this

We were there over Mardi Gras weekend

Trash and rubble everywhere!

 

Carefree seagulls

FEMA trailers

People still live in tent cities

Cars under a bridge driven for safety...but there was none. They were all damaged and undrivable