How much Katrina damage is left in New Orleans? (Baton Rouge: city hall, high crime)

[censusdata]

I was down there in May 2007 and I was really surprised how bad the area still looked, both NO and also the MS Gulf Coast.

Is it any better now?

[jacq63]

Hi Censusdata,
We were in NOLA a month or so ago, and were also surprised at how damaged some of the non-tourist areas lstill appeared...but I dont know how these areas looked pre-Katrina. It's funny though, you go to the tourist areas, and it's almost like nothing happened...the NOLA people have an amazing strength of spirit and resiliance, and that stood out for me, personally, above all else. Good on ya, NOLA, we'll be back Feb '09, this time to see if we can help out somehow, as volunteers - dont know if we'll be a help or hinderance, but can't wait to get back!

[horsepow3r]

There's a lot of damage in some neighborhoods. Some of the Lower Ninth Ward no longer exisits. Take a drive in the I-610, I-10 area and just look at all the properties sitting empty.

[IloveNOLA]

Originally Posted by horsepow3r

There's a lot of damage in some neighborhoods. Some of the Lower Ninth Ward no longer exisits. Take a drive in the I-610, I-10 area and just look at all the properties sitting empty.

Those properties are never going to come back. I don't think the city's population is ever going to get higher than 350,000.

[Caa]

I think the population will rise eventually, but not for a looooong time. i think lots of people that moved out of New Orleans to other bigger cities like it where they are and have no intention of moving back. I just wish that Baton Rouge would not have been first choice for some of them, they can be so rude!

[rajin-cajin]

OHHH, I'd say around 98% of the damage remains.

[edwar050]

A huge part of the problem is that alot of the people with money left quickly for new jobs etc. and there are few coming back except for people in the construction workforce. Downtown was pretty much totally spared, and looked pretty good quickly afterwards. There are some areas that are coming back somewhat but even in those there are still a ton of abandoned homes. It would have been nice if there could have been some way all of the homes that had flood damage could have been torn down and in the highest flood areas golf courses and parks built. I also don't like how certain areas are anti stilts. Many locals claim they look like the fish camps to the south, ever been to the beaches of Florida? Just mod them with a new orleans flair. It will take a very long time for it to come back, I figured it would have been at best immediatly after Katrina without even going down there 5 years. After seeing it I figured it would be more like 15 for the majority of the city. I still think even now it will be a long time. Most of the major money is gone, shipping has moved to other areas and alot of the forturne 500 companies are gone. Thank god for tourism

[miserylovesco.]

NOLA is a disaster right now, I'm trying to move there and the job market is a joke.

It's very frustrating.

[Vampgrrl]

Job market here is great if you work in IT support, or law or construction...

I am getting 6-7 calls a DAY and I don't even need a job (in comparison I had a much harder time in Atlanta).

There are problems here but if you live in an unflooded area and aren't on a high crime street outside of dealing with the usual city hall stupidity, life here is damn good at least for this single girl.

And the money is out there, the city has most of the money now for rebuilding (and the FBI is up every corner of this city's rear end right now as Jim Letten loves to send people to jail) so 2008 is going to be the turning point in getting really good or just forget about it, let's have a drink.

[TN-rox]

I was in NO in December and know several people there and the downtown area looked great- especially the Quarter. A couple of the hotels were still boarded up, but other than that it was good as new. Some of the neighborhoods were still a little damaged though. The parts of NO that people want to experience are back. New Orleans politics and money problems are still there, but thats similar to so many other southern (I dont know 'bout northern) cities. Try the similarities to Memphis or Jackson. You can't talk bout them problems in New Orleans alone.