Trip to New Orleans Scenes of the nearby devastation
 
These photos can't convey the magnitude unless you imagine yourself surrounded by another set of photos just like it, on all sides, in every direction, and no end in sight.

Here are the front steps of someone's house, which might or might not be the house you can see in the background.

We had driven past miles of empty suburbs on the way into town, through New Orleans East on I-10.  It was disturbing enough to see these empty houses, each with its waterline showing flooding 6 feet and higher.

We all felt funny about wanting to witness more, but on our last day we did follow our host on a tour through the neighborhoods about 20 blocks from where we were working, just where the levee broke over one of the poorest sections of the city.

Cars like this are everywhere in this neighborhood, even six months after the storm.
This is the house of the woman who returned and waited day after day.  She wanted to be sure to be there when the city equipment came to lift off the roof before demolition so she could retrieve whatever small memento might still be salvageable.  We were all amazed by her smile and positive outlook.
Everywhere, jumbles of debris.
This looks like an open field but used to be a dense group of houses.  The grass has grown up in six months, but that's about all that has happened here; all around are blocks and blocks just like this one.
Links to follow Our story in the words of the kids
The playground before and after
Cleaning up the playground
End of the first day
Working on the "Bronco"
The last day
Scenes of the nearby devastation
How you can help!
 

Copyright 2006 by Kurt Meyer