Holy Shit This City is Broken
In body, but not in spirit.
We did a Hurricane Katrina tour and while I don't have time to process the images I can share some thoughts.
I was completely taken aback by the level of devastation found over a year later. Neighborhoods that were 70% abandoned and tilting wrecks with a few families eking out a living amidst the rubble. The stain of the water line on the buildings was a constant companion as we toured areas of all income levels. The guide taught us how to interpret the symbol left on the buildings by the rescuers to indicate a structure had been cleared. Very few of these documented civilian casualties, but many indicated dead cats and dogs. Some buildings had painted-on cell phone numbers as a calling card for the residents that had permanently deserted the dwelling.
The tale told of how/why Katrina happened (the Federal Government has always been assholes) and why there is so much damage left unrepaired (the Federal Government is still being assholes) is subject to interpretation of the bias of the presenters. However, the evidence of the situation is undeniable and extremely substantial. Vast areas of the city bore the look of a woman having just been sexually assaulted and then had the police tell her it was her fault for having been/done something. Very tragic.
I hope to get some images up, perhaps I'll just do a dump, so you can see what I saw. But I'm a shitty photographer so don't hold your breath waiting for it. Certainly there must be better evidence of the situation out there already online.
Personal Note: I was born in the same city as the founder of New Orleans.
We did a Hurricane Katrina tour and while I don't have time to process the images I can share some thoughts.
I was completely taken aback by the level of devastation found over a year later. Neighborhoods that were 70% abandoned and tilting wrecks with a few families eking out a living amidst the rubble. The stain of the water line on the buildings was a constant companion as we toured areas of all income levels. The guide taught us how to interpret the symbol left on the buildings by the rescuers to indicate a structure had been cleared. Very few of these documented civilian casualties, but many indicated dead cats and dogs. Some buildings had painted-on cell phone numbers as a calling card for the residents that had permanently deserted the dwelling.
The tale told of how/why Katrina happened (the Federal Government has always been assholes) and why there is so much damage left unrepaired (the Federal Government is still being assholes) is subject to interpretation of the bias of the presenters. However, the evidence of the situation is undeniable and extremely substantial. Vast areas of the city bore the look of a woman having just been sexually assaulted and then had the police tell her it was her fault for having been/done something. Very tragic.
I hope to get some images up, perhaps I'll just do a dump, so you can see what I saw. But I'm a shitty photographer so don't hold your breath waiting for it. Certainly there must be better evidence of the situation out there already online.
Personal Note: I was born in the same city as the founder of New Orleans.