Neighborhood Update September 14

Original post 9/1/05

Trying to keep everyone abreast of the conditions of the city, here are some areas within the metro to consider. Please feel free to update with your own comments and I will consolidate any feedback:

Within New Orleans:

Uptown/Carrollton/Riverbend
- among the least affected within the city; areas closest to the river show least evidence of damage while Tulane and Loyola likely have experienced some standing water of perhaps 3' (David Vitter flyover)
(UPDATE 9/4/05) Most areas riverside of St. Charles Avenue are completely dry; water begins to appear about two blocks north (lakeside) of St. Charles (aerial photo); (UPDATE 9/7/05) Serious fire at Upperline and Camp Street with a total loss of 6 homes (www.nola.com)
- mostly fallen trees and impassable roads

Garden District/Lower Garden District/Irish Channel
- among least affected due to proximity to Mississippi; close to a great deal of reported looting, especially at the Wal-mart around the St. Thomas area
(UPDATE 9/4/05) Area appears completely dry; greatest vulnerability is to looters and vandals (aerial photo); (UPDATE 9/7/05) Serious fire at Camp Street and St. Andrew, close to Magazine street, complete loss of 3 homes and an apartment building (www.nola.com)

CBD/Warehouse District
- standing water around superdome, diminishes as you get closer to river (UPDATE 9/2/05) fire affecting two buildings at intersection of Poydras and Tchoupitoulas (UPDATE 9/11/05) Most water along Poydras near City Hall is gone, water in Treme is significantly reduced or non-existent (www.nola.com)

French Quarter/Marigny/Bywater/Treme
- (UPDATE 9/2/05) French Quarter predominantly unaffected, overwhelmingly free of flooding and heavily guarded; looting on Royal Street has greatly diminished
- reports that Treme is heavily affected
- (UPDATE 9/4/05) Marigny and Bywater appear completely dry (aerial photo) (UPDATE 9/9/05) Bywater has experienced some loss of buildings due to fire (www.nola.com)
- (UPDATE 9/9/05) Many French Quarter residents have experienced restoration of power and running water (bbc.news.co.uk)


Gentilly
- (UPDATE 9/4/05) significant flooding about five blocks riverside (south) of the Lake Pontchartrain coast. University of New Orleans and all areas abutting the coast appear relatively dry (aerial photo); (UPDATE 9/9/05) Three multi-story buildings on Dillard University campus completely destroyed by fires (www.nola.com)

East New Orleans
- reports of significant damage though nothing confirmed, closer to high winds and probably greater structural damage
- (UPDATE 9/5/05) Estimates are that most of the area is still under 5 to 7 feet of water (Water Depth Gauge)

9th Ward
- (UPDATE 9/4/05) 9th Ward east (downriver) of Industrial Canal is heavily submerged; apparently the breach in the levee occurred only on the downriver side so all flooding spilled in that direction (aerial photo) (UPDATE 9/11/05) Water levels have dropped 3 to 5 feet in most sections, many areas are now dry (www.nola.com)

Central City
- (UPDATE 9/4/05) Area lakeside (north) of Oretha Castle Haley Blvd shows evidence of standing water, evidence grows more pronounced as one approaches Claiborne Avenue (aerial photo)

Mid-City/Bayou St. John
- (UPDATE 9/4/05) Jefferson Davis Blvd under at least 3' water, area around Canal and Carrollton is under between 3' and 5' of water, bayou is heavily flooded and more like a lake

Lakeview
- significant flooding due to breach in levee, most likely 10' of standing water or more

Algiers
- conflicting information, some saying West Bank is significantly hit, some saying it is among the least damaged (David Vitter flyover)
- (UPDATE 9/9/05) One of the driest, least damaged areas in the city. Algiers point is now temporary administrative center for New Orleans government. Power has been restored in some places; estimates are that complete electric restoration shoul occur in the next 48 hours. (www.nola.com)

Jefferson Parish - East Bank:
(UPDATE 9/6/04) Residents are returning to their homes to gathering most valuable belongings and begin assessments of the damage. Area is still considered very lawless and dangerous, with an 8 pm curfew; residents are not recommended to stay overnight.
Metairie/Old Metairie/Bonnabel Place
- area east of Bonnabel Blvd less significantly affected (David Vitter flyover); (UPDATE 9/7/05) Much of Old Metairie still contains 2' of standing water (www.nola.com); (UPDATE 9/13/05) Bucktown used for military installations but structural damage remains considerable

Jefferson/Jefferson Heights/Southport

River Ridge

Harahan

Kenner
- relatively minor damage and minimal flooding south of Veterans Blvd and around airport

Jefferson Parish - West Bank
- conflicting information regarding conditions here; hearsay suggests that Algiers is among least affected areas, no information for Jefferson Parish suburbs
Harvey

Marrero

Terrytown/Gretna
Serious damage to Oakwood Mall from looters; (UPDATE 9/13/05) Gretna officials allowing citizens to return to homes; all utilities have been restored (www.nola.com)
Westwego
(UPDATE 9/13/05) Westwego officials allowing citizens to return to homes; all utilities have been restored (www.nola.com)
Waggaman

Crown Point/Lafitte
(UPDATE 9/13/05) Jean Lafitte officials allowing citizens to return to homes; all utilities have been restored (www.nola.com)
St. Bernard/Plaquemines Parishes:
perhaps most devastated areas of all; significant flooding and much greater structural damage due to high winds than in Orleans Parish; (UPDATE 9/13/05) Estimates that over 25,000 homes will have to be demolished due to structural damage, environmental contamination, and prolonged flooding (ABC news)
Arabi

Chalmette

Belle Chasse

Poydras

Braithwaite

Venice
- towns along mouth of Mississippi (lower Plaquemines) most likely no longer exist

St. Tammany Parish (North Shore):
- less flooding and more structural damage, increases further to the east
Abita Springs

Mandeville
(UPDATE 9/7/05) Serious damage to homes and businesses along lakefront, most of destruction due to high winds and storm surge but no continuous flooding (www.nola.com)
Covington

Slidell
- probably the greatest damage of all the North Shore towns (UPDATE 9/6/04) Estimates are that 80% of buildings withstood significant structural damage due to winds

Madisonville

Lacombe

Upper Parish

River Parishes (St. John the Baptist, St. James, St. Charles)
- very little information available, but one report suggested significant structural damage due to high winds


Feel free to post any additional information you might have and I will integrate it and update this bulletin board.