Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Remembering Katrina Part III

You know people who don't live here in New Orleans, want to know what the heck is going on?

Why is there so many houses still left as it was after the flood? Why is the government still paying people to help them get on there feet? Why are they still electing idiots into office? What about the mental health of people who lived to tell the story? I'll try and answer the best to my knowledge as I see it.

1.) What's going on? A lot of rebuilding, and at the same time a lot of people still moving out other parishes near New Orleans.

2.) Houses still the same? Yes, there are many reasons for this. 1.) Corps of Engineers created crappy levees, didn't keep them up like they were supposed to. They blame higher government for not paying them to do this. ~ Also many people didn't have insurance, some are elderly and can't rebuild. ~ Then you have some who have insurance, but they won't pay up. ~ Then you have those that are afraid to come back, and afraid to sell hoping they can get the nerve to come back. ~ Then theres those that just can careless anymore.

3.) Why is government still paying some people? Well, I guess they feel responsible for the levee's that weren't built and maintained properly?? I don't know why. I do know sometimes it makes me mad seeing some people take advantage of it, those who can work, those who can take care of themselves, but won't. That pisses me off. Just like it does everyone else. But, most of these people were living off the government before Katrina, so that's that.

4.) Electing idiots? God only knows this answer. I didn't elect them. Most of my friends and family members didn't elect them either. I have no clue how it could have happened? Maybe it was because the mayor bussed in thousands from Houston and where ever, maybe he made the deal sweet for them, I have no clue... It smells is all I can say.....

5.) The mental minds of the victims? This varies greatly. One example, last week I was getting my haircut, and my hair stylist tells me his neighbor died after she dropped her kids off of school. No one knows how she died? She was 39-40? Her home flooded, her husband lost his job, but was in school learning a new trade, school just started for her two little boys, dropped them off and never picked them back up. -- Katrina Stress? Could be. I can believe it.

Then you have people living in there cars, or living in there gutted houses, or fema trailers. People so tired of working on their homes. It's hard work. If only these people can hold out for the reward, they'll be okay.

We need mental treatment clinics/hospitals..there is no help for those depressed, stressed or anything. I can't figure that one out!! Everyday someone commits suicide here along the gulf coast. (still) Though thats not reported...

But then everyday, someone moves back home. You've got the good and the bad. The hurricane didn't destroy New Orleans like it did Biloxi and other Louisiana areas, the levees broke.
No matter what, I'm still glad to call New Orleans my home... I love it!!!

Dawn

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dawn,
Yes, the 2 year anniversary seems kind of strange. Sometimes I think that it feels like yesterday and other times I feel like so much time has passed since the storm.
Today, I spent most of the day busy at work and only had fleeting thoughts of the anniversary if someone brought it up.
The Mississippi coastline still looks bad. I don't travel along highway 90 that often unless I have to. When I do go along the beach, i see a few more construction sites going up. But, it will never be the same. THe construction in spotty and there's still miles and miles of coastline where nothing is being built. Still many fema trailers on empty lots.
I remember August 29th, two years ago. Me and my sister's family were in a campground in Chipley, Florida, in their small pop-up camper, as evacuees. That camper was our home for over a week. We had 4 adults, 2 children, 2 dogs and a cat init.
We had no idea if our homes or business's were still standing and couldn't get in touch with anyone on our cell phone.
The campground set up a tv for us and we watched coverage from cnn and the weather channel. You can't even begin to describe the feeling of staring at your whole world being destroyed/ flooded/ washed away, while you sit in a chair surrounded by about 50 other evacuees. We just stared at the tv screen, crying, speechless. IT was horrible.
Another strange thing was when we got back home and saw it standing, but that is had been searched for bodies by the fire dept. That was very eerie. Something I'll never forget as long as I lived.
My family and I were fortunate in that we didn't lose very many belongings and we lived on high ground.