I was saving this for August 29 but I felt that it would be too crowded so here it is today. Katrina almost killed my father and took every thing from my parents. Yet, they are better off than most. They have returned to their home and rebuilt it. Their experience suggest how difficult it is to start again and how those worse off may never be able too without more government help. Sorry about the rambling nature of this post. More below the fold.
I was always safe from Katrina in New Jersey. My parents were in the line of fire. For some time My sister and her family would run from any hurricane. My dad living nearby, would ride them out. My father and I would chuckle on the phone over this. You see my father and mother had lived in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans, for over fifty years and had never seen water in their home. My father was fond of saying that he lived on the highest ground in the area if his house flooded everything would be flooded. How right he was. As Katrina approached, my sister and crew left. This time she took my mother and aunt. My mother is ill and my aunt lived in a vunerable part of St. Bernard Parish so it was felt that they would be better off in Baton Rouge just in case.
My dad, stubbon as ever, decided to ride out the strom in his house. I kept in contact with him by phone. As the strom came in he reported it was not that bad. He described to me that while the street had flooded it was no worse than he had seen before. On the morning of the 29th, my birthday, I called my dad early. He was still in his house, but he reported that there was two inches of water in the house. He was upset because this had never happened in all his 78 years. I immediately told him to get out. He was still nit very concerned. He said there was a boat across the street. I said to flag it down and get in. He then told me it was an empty boat still attached to a trailer. Knowing that my father's house sat nearly four feet above the street, I also knew that my fahter, stooped with arthritis in his back could not reach that boat. I told him to call for help. He promised he would. I called a little later and the water was now six inches high in his house. I was getting frantic.
When I called again I got no answer on either my dad's land line or cell phone. I spent much of the next 24 hours calling for help. It was nearly impossible to get through to the New Orleans area. When you did calls to emergency services often went unanswered. With the help of a former neighbor living in Iowa( Kay, I have never thanked you enough for all your efforts.) we reached several emergency services, but no word on my father emerged. Finally, I got through to my family in Baton Rouge and found out he had been rescued by a woman in a boat who came through looking to help. She was one of hundreds, if not thousands of individuals who risked their lives to save strangers with no help or adequate thanks from the governmrnt. Others took my dad to Baton Rouge where he reunited with ny mother and family.
My parents spent weeks in Baton Rouge with relatives there. Their house eventually had two feet of water. It took them eight months before they could move back in. They received almost no help from FEMA of any other government agency. They received helped only from our large extended family who lived on the edge of the disaster. Their house is still barely livable. When they moved back in about three months ago, they had no hot water, phone service, or mail service. They last I know because letter and cards I sent were returned to me. FEMA and insurance paid only a fraction of the over $40,000 it took to restore their home. It is a job still not done.
A little reported problem in the area is a lack of contractors worthy of the name. Many, including the guy my sister got to fix her and my parents house, often take money do not deliver as promised and then ask for more money. Hey, I know that's what contractors do, in New Orleans it is only adding to the slow rebuilding process. My parents have paid the guy over three quarters of the money and are still waiting for the job to be finished. They are not alone.
My father reported to me another aspect of the Katrina rebuilding that I bet is affecting many others. It seems that his contractor was using illegal immigrant labor to do much of the job. He was also not paying them. One day one of the workers was cleaning debris from around my parents house while my father was there. One of the workers, was chopping up dead bushes with a machete, when my father asked him how things were going he hefted the machete and told my father he would like to use it on the contractor. My father believes that one of the reasons the contractor has not finished either his house or my sister's house is that the contractor now cannot get laborers because the word is out on him. My father also told me that the contractor did not do what he was supposed to do on several occasions. The contractor substituted lesser quality materials for those promised. And in one case he did not put the backs on the kitchen cabinets he installed. My father is using the wood as a kitchen table! I have urged my father to sue the bastard, but like many people they are just happy to be in their homes and don't want to go to the trouble. Both my father and mother have told me they know it was not what they contracted for but at least it works.
My parents still do not have much furniture in the house. The bought a bedroom set which they had to order and wait weeks form. They a have also ordered a dining room table and chairs to replace the makeshift table and plastic lawn chairs they have been using, rest of their house remains empty. Apparently getting firniture is still very hard and with demand outstripping supply it is also very expensive.
Finally, my father reports that his neighborhood has changed forever. Recently the home of my childhood best friend was torn down as unsafe. In fact several houses on the street have been demolished. Many ancient trees have also been cut down. He tells me many neighbors will never return. It will be a vastly differnt place.
I know the experiences of my father and mother are not as bad as so many who lost everything(including one of my aunts and one of my uncles whose homes were completely destroyed). But their experiences do, I think, highlight the fact that even those with the will and means to rebuild are up against tremendous obstacles and no level of government is even lifting a finger to help. Where are the government agencies that should be watching the contractors? Where are those who could speed the delivery of building materials and goods to finish the job of construction? Where are the agencies trying to stop price gauging? Another odd point was that the phone company was apparently charging my parents for phone service they did not have.
Bush and company say they are helping. That is the biggest lie ever told. I hope their is a special place in Hell for the "Decider" and his cohorts. They have abandoned good people fend for themselves and will try to take credit for what these people are doing on their own. New Orleans, I fear, will never be the same.
Oh, one more thing I talked with my parents today they are wondering if in a couple of days they will have to do it all over again. Ernesto is apparently heading into the Gulf and toward New Orleans. My mother said it could be close by Tuesday. Tuesday is the 29th, one year to the day since Katrina. Happy Anniversary New Orleans.