Intermission: After the first installment, I realize there is a time sensitive issue that should be addressed: most of New Orleans - particularly the extensive area below Lake Pontchatrain but before very downtown - about 40-50 square miles I'm estimating - still does not have electricity.
When I visited this area two weeks ago, only the most adventerous had returned: the streets are dark at night, the water cannot be ingested and there are no stores for miles - one of the closest supply locations is on the other side of Lake Pontchtrain - across that enormous, contractor congested bridge. Much of the northern neighborhoods are continuing to rot.
This is a serious issue for property owners. They can't reclaim their land. Without power in an innercity, it's some kind of extreme camping especially with grocery stores and conveince stores for miles in the exact same situation - rotting, powerless.
After Wilma hit Florida, it was news that it would take 3 days to a week to restore power, but we are not hearing about the continued no-electricity situation in New Orleans. These neighborhoods are in a geographic pocket. Bixoli, Gulfport and other hit communities have the advantage of through roads. Northern New Orleans is very much out of sight out of mind right now. I'm posting 6 images now, 30 later, of a complete unedited roll of film taken in the 7th Ward on Wednesday, October 19.
The man pictured is Pastor Bruce who runs several properties in the community and does a tremendous amount of work. The woman with Rebecca is Coma, a woman who owns her house and two other properties on the block. Of the 50,000 residents, many property owners, these 2 estimated maybe 100-200 had returned to the ward. Rebecca is writing a piece on her interview with Coma. The large buildings are a massive public housing project.
7:15am, November 4
When I visited this area two weeks ago, only the most adventerous had returned: the streets are dark at night, the water cannot be ingested and there are no stores for miles - one of the closest supply locations is on the other side of Lake Pontchtrain - across that enormous, contractor congested bridge. Much of the northern neighborhoods are continuing to rot.
This is a serious issue for property owners. They can't reclaim their land. Without power in an innercity, it's some kind of extreme camping especially with grocery stores and conveince stores for miles in the exact same situation - rotting, powerless.
After Wilma hit Florida, it was news that it would take 3 days to a week to restore power, but we are not hearing about the continued no-electricity situation in New Orleans. These neighborhoods are in a geographic pocket. Bixoli, Gulfport and other hit communities have the advantage of through roads. Northern New Orleans is very much out of sight out of mind right now. I'm posting 6 images now, 30 later, of a complete unedited roll of film taken in the 7th Ward on Wednesday, October 19.
The man pictured is Pastor Bruce who runs several properties in the community and does a tremendous amount of work. The woman with Rebecca is Coma, a woman who owns her house and two other properties on the block. Of the 50,000 residents, many property owners, these 2 estimated maybe 100-200 had returned to the ward. Rebecca is writing a piece on her interview with Coma. The large buildings are a massive public housing project.
7:15am, November 4
posted by tobin at 5:03 AM
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