The levees
On Friday we took a “tour” of the area and were able to see the levees in two parts of town: the lower 9th ward and Lake View along Lake Pontchartrain. It was amazing to see the differences in the types of levees that were in each area. Along Lake Pontchartrain there were multiple layers of the levee, starting with a wall of stairs that lead down into the lake. Beyond that was a man-made hill and in some areas another hill behind that one. The city appeared to be well protected from potential flood waters. Driving around that area, it appeared that many of the homes had been rennovated and were occupied. Driving through the lower 9th ward was a completely different experience. There we saw the new 20 foot or so levee that had been built after Katrina. However, they said that before there had only been a 4 foot wall that served as the levee. Practically the entire area we drove through was empty. Very few houses were standing although you could still see the foundations and concrete patios where houses use to be. Of the houses that were standing, hardly any were renovated and we saw only a small handful that looked occupied. Even those still had FEMA trailers in the front. The tour provided a very interesting contrast between different areas in Louisiana, the protection that had existed before Katrina, and the rebuilding process that has occurred since.
