My trip to New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina

Kicks · September 15, 2005

Dear friends,

I have been into Jefferson Parish twice before today. I went back and saw much improvement. My street was lined with crews working on the utility lines. My company's store now has power, but the sewage still isn't functional.

Then I went in to New Orleans with a crew from my company to retrieve what computer equipment we could salvage. It was an awful trip. New Orleans really took a nasty punch from Katrina. I've never seen anything like I saw today. I thought I would never see anything like I saw today.

My office building is in an area that was flooded by the breach in the 17th Street Canal. The land is now dry, but covered with mud. All the grass is dead. It is a very gloomy sight. It doesn't look anything like it used to. I compare it to two photographs of the same scene, one is in color and one is in gray scale (or black and white).

We drove past downed power line and branches. Most of the streets have been cleared of fallen trees, or the trees were just cut away to clear the street. My office building has several levels, the offices are at street level and the warehouse is about 5 feet above street level. The warehouse didn't get any flood water in it, but the offices had once had about 4 feet of water.

We went in with protective clothing, rubber boots, dust mask, and flash lights. But the smell, the feel of the air, was the most horrible thing I've ever expierenced. I can still smell it, and taste it. Mold and mildew was all over the wall, furniture, pictures, parts of the carpet, everything! The furniture had floated around in the flood waters and came down in random places when the water receeded. All the furniture, walls, art prints, and computers were destroyed. You can see some photos at:

http://www.livaudaisnet.com/katrina/katrina03.htm

We have our work cut out for us to rebuild.

Other photos are posted at:

http://www.livaudaisnet.com/katrina/katrina01.htm