JOE – I met Joe while shooting in the Lower 9th Ward after I fell into a hole which had been an old gas line. Luckily for me – Joe helped me get my leg free.
Joe is a retired postal worker who lives in the Lower 9th Ward. During Katrina he survived by bracing himself in the frame of the doorway to his attic for 3 days until he was rescued. His home was almost a complete loss with 3 of walls caved in. Using his savings he rebuilt his home and now spends his time helping others in the neighborhood rebuild theirs.
Notice the Katrina Code Mark spray painted next to the front door.
A man stands proudy in front of his restored shotgun home in the 7th Ward. His home is one of the oldest in the neighborhood. Note the tee-shirt he is wearing. Five years later, residents still carry bitter feelings towards FEMA.
A severely damaged home and ministry sits vacant in the Lower 9th Ward. Notice the multiple “Katrina Markings” in the front of the structure. Each tells a story.
Multiple times, first responders and the SPCA came to look for survivors. The first was on 9-13 (less than 2 weeks after the flood). They returned on 9-18 to find no one in the building. The SPCA returned 3 times (on the 9/24, 10/4 and 10/9) bringing food and water to animals that were left behind.
Two young boys hanging out in on Maurice and Urquhart Streets in the Lower 9th Ward.
A pair of boots lays in the side yard of a home in the Bywater even 5 years later.
While exploring in the Lower 9th Ward, these 2 young boys approached me when I was shooting pix and they asked that I take their photo.
Even 5 years later, clean up and the gutting of homes is commonplace. A fridge sits in front of a home that is now just being gutted. Often people left and evacuated the city with nothing more than the clothes on their back.
A FEMA Trailer sits beside a home in the Lower 9th Ward. In the months following Katrina, FEMA trailers quickly had become part of the cultural landscape and language of New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities. At one time, there were over 23K FEMA Trailers parked throughout NOLA. Now only a few hundred remain. Many health problems by occupants of the trailers were reported apparently caused by high formaldehyde levels in the trailers from manufactured materials used in their construction. Residents reported breathing difficulties, persistent flu-like symptoms, eye irritation, and nosebleeds. Apparently, the trailers were not designed for long-term habitation. A 2008 federal report concluded that the toxic levels of formaldehyde in the trailers probably resulted from faulty construction practices and the use of substandard building materialsIn December 2010, the City announced that residents had until January 1, 2011 to get rid of their trailers or face steep fines (up to $500 a day). http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40858571/ns/us_news-life/ The Katrina Markings “TFW” – Task Force Wildcat is spray painted on a home in the 8th Ward. Unfortunately, a dead dog was found inside by the first responder team (many home owners were forced to leave their beloved pets behind when they were evacuated – and many did not survive).
My cousin Anne and I were exploring the Lower 9th Ward when we happened to come along two boys dee-jaying in the front of their home. The explained they were getting ready for a party later that night. It was one of these surreal moments as their home was literally in the middle of nowhere. For blocks to either side, there were a sea of empty lots, their homes torn down. Somewhat spooky as I might say because before the Katrina, this neighborhood would’ve been filled with dozens and dozens of homes and many residents.
The TFW (Task Force Wildcat National Guard Unit) marking still can be seen marking prominently on this badly damaged abandoned building.
A man and his son pose in front of their restored shotgun home in the 7th Ward.
“Katrina Markings” tell the story that that this building was searched by TFW (Task Force Wildcat – the National Guard whose markings cover thousands of buildings throughout the 7th Ward and Bywater areas. Note the SPCA message that Food and Water (FW) has been left and that 1 K9 is in the building.
One of the many murals painted by British graffiti artist Banksy after Katrina. This mural is painted on a building across the street from the famous Food Circle Store. Banksy, whose identity is unknown, has painted works on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world
The famous Food Circle Store on St. Benard Street still sits empty 5 years later. Many will remember the food store as images of it being flooded and residents looting the store were broadcast live on TV. http://blogs.citypages.com/pscholtes/images/Circle%20Store%20flood%20Katrina%202005.jpgThe store first opened in 1938 and was an important part of the community for decades until the storm. Still to this day, no major grocery store has opened in the neighborhood. However, a one-day “tent” sale was organized two years after the storm in late September 2007 to gauge interest if rebuilding was an option. A mural for THE PORCH painted on a building in the 7th Ward.The Porch is a community program created in the aftermath of Katrina in January 2006 designed to use the arts to promote social change. The cultural center is located at 1941 Pauger Street and Urquhart Street. http://www.theporch-7.com/http://www.wwoz.org/blog/97629 A memorial and wishes for a Merry Christmas adorn a building.
I met this man in the 8th Ward as he was fixing the engine to a Hyundai on the front porch of damaged home.
TFW” – Task Force Wildcat the National Guard unit who acted as the first responders to many homes in the Bywater as well as the 7th and 8th Wards. Literally hundreds of homes and buildings are adorned with their mark.
