I have thousands of these pictures. It breaks my heart *still*.

more tomorrow.

How many feet below sea level are these houses? Neighborhoods that cannot relive and are below sea level should be rescued? This is time for a city to consolidate on safer land. Only then can parklands be cleared and created. Those pictures are symptoms when a town (at its highest levels) cannot make hard decisions.

New Orleans will be a smaller town. Many sections - especially the ninth ward - should never be rebuilt. The town should consolidate on safer and higher lands. Those pictures are imply indecision exists. It’s the indecision that is so demoralizing. Trash is only a symptom of a far greater disaster – indecision.

Jesus. I can't believe that's what it still looks like. New Orleans. World famous and world loved.

tw, I don't think anyone is really ever planning to rebuild in these areas. It's not indecision, but rather a refusal on everyone's part to pay for the cleanup.

I can't say that I'm sorry to see it go, a sin city with few contributions to the economy that it can not fulfill now.

a 'sin city'? who died and made you moral arbiter of all that's fucking holy?

No one is returning. The crime rate is so high that those that did come back are leaving. (my friends that currently live there, included) The city lost its charm.

If there was a God he should have wiped the place off the map and settled the issue for everyone. I feel bad for all those people but the reality is that the destruction of the place was going to happen sooner or later.

It's for the best that they are not going back. The work needed to clean up the place wouldn't be worth it getting ruined again.

If there was a god and it gave a crap about NO and it's people this would never have happened to begin with.

Or that.

So how did busterb fare? is his story told elsewhere? I see he survived but has he had to rebuild or did he get off lightly?

And now for another episode of .. As the Cellar Turns:earth:

I'm sure buster will respond, but if I remember correctly, he took roof damage and got screwed by the insurance companies and feds. His last post to his hurricane thread was November.

The cleanup cannot occur until decisions are made as to what will be done, who owns what, when the insurance company finally agrees to pay, etc. This is a classic example of 85% of all problems are directly traceable to top management. Cleaning is the easy part. Making decisions has become the problem.

What needs to happen in New Orleans is also a legal nightmare - unless we institute eminent domain. Well that could happen if the town wanted to bring in casinos. But making plans for the cities future - that just is not happening.

Worse, is a city plan to let some people rebuild where they want, then later kick them out if not enough others arrive in that neighborhood. But again, just another reason that makes it not possible to institute the cleaning or rebuilding of so many homes. But again, the labor is trivial - tactical actions. The problem is lack of a strategic vision leaving everyone is a state of indecision as to even trash the building or save it.

Until clear objective are defined up to, well this is what happens. They still can’t decide whether insurance companies are responsible or not. Therefore no actions are possible.

Thanks for asking. I settled with insurance co. Still working on house, painting, replacing cornices and other wood. Been nice weather, but help is hard to find. Only .39" rain this month. My age and weight, ladder work sucks. Also, I'd rather be beat in face with a buzzard gut than paint. bb