I went into NO yesterday as part of a 20-vehicle convoy guarded by US Marshalls. Got in at approximately 9 am and left at about 4 pm.
I listened to Ella Fitzgerald's "Ella at Duke's Place" and to a CD by Paquito D'Rivera whose title I do not remember on the way in to set the mood, which I wanted to be cool, calm, and collected, though I was tempted to listen to The Flight of the Valkyries to fit in with the sirens, the speed, and the adrenaline.
Good thing that I was soothed by the music; the devastation is incredible.
We went over Lake Pontchartrain on I-10 the way in on a beautiful morning which promised that Fall was on the way. The Lake was flat as a pancacake; the scenery picture perfect.
Except for the steady stream of emergency vehicles and the chekpoint, there is no hint that anything exceptional had taken place until about 2-3 miles before I-10 begins to traverse Lake Pontchartrain, and even then the signs are minimal, i.e., a few bent over trees, but otherwise nothing of any significance.
Our route took us on I-10 East to Clearview Blvd, which eventually took us over the Huey P. Long Bridge over the Mississippi to the West Bank and through the elevated Westbank Expressway through the communities of Westwego and Gretna, both of which had sustained severe windstorm damage but no flooding that I could see. A few citizens around, some on bicycles since there is no gasoline available [in fact no commercial activity at all was evident]; these hardy souls looked like they had been in a war zone, scruffy, sunken faces, poor hygiene. But they are undeniably tough. Or perhaps simply mental.
The windstorm damage on the West Bank is severe. Saw a few collapsed buildings and some with entire sides open to the elements. Lots of homes with roof damage, some with trees on top of roofs. In some cases, the trees have actually entered the living spaces.
We then crossed the Mississippi using the Crescent City Connection Bridge, which at its top affords a terrific panoramic view of things. A leisurely view of the devastation, however, was impossible thanks to the speed at which we were travelling. I briefly saw the Dome and its roof.
We went directly to the Hale Boggs Federal Bldg. in the Central Business District. After assisting the High Powered Judicial Mucky Muck who allowed me to be part of the convoy in gathering files, etc., I decided to strike out on my own and walked around the CBD. Except for the occassional evidence of looting and small buildings which had collapsed, the CBD looks fairly well. No standing water, no horrific stench, no swarms of mosquitos and other insects. There is naturally a lot of debris around, but this sight is not unfamiliar to someone who has witnessed a few Carnivals.
In short, once power and telephone services are restored, the CBD can get back in business fairly quickly. This naturally sounds good, but it doesn't take into account the fact that there is a damned small stock of undamaged housing available to those who would use the CBD. Plus, schools are closed; workers are not going to go in unless their kids can attend school nearby. Thus, I see little prospect for the CBD to be effectively back in business despite the fact that the infrastructure can be repaired quickly until schools and decent housing can be made available.
Don't have time to complete this post so I'll call it Part I. More later. |
