As many of you know, we are based in New Orleans and today marked the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As time passes it is easy for us to forget the largest natural disaster that has happened to date. As much as we would like to forget, we live and work in the heart of New Orleans, we live with the reminders daily. We remember not being able to get home for 2-months, not being able to get in our office and living on the road like nomads. We remember the failure of government at all levels and the costs we endured from being knocked out of business. We also remember the phone calls and assistance of our friends offering help from across the country – for that – we remain forever grateful.
3-years ago today, at 6:10 AM, Katrina made land fall about 60-miles south of New Orleans in a small town called Buras, LA, packing 140 mph winds and pushing a wall of water. Not only did various cities get wiped out, but many good people that worked hard all their lives were left homeless overnight, they struggle to rebuild, to replace their memories.
Today there are events all over the Gulf Coast, from "Remembering Katrina" memory bells being rung in New Orleans to the grand opening of a housing resource center in Gulfport. There is also a short film being released called: "The Katrina Myth: The Truth about a Thoroughly Unnatural Disaster" which goes after and obliterates the destructive and unfair myths that are slowing the region's recovery.
But the worst happened after the storm. Insurance companies do not want to pay claims, energy bills are sky-rocketing and much of the rebuilding has yet to take place thanks to our friends at FEMA, whom the cities depend on for damaged infrastructure funding. Throw the national mortgage crisis and slumping economy on top of it and you have one stagnated formula for an area trying to rebuild itself, or as we say in NOLA – one wicked gumbo.
The entire Gulf Coast has a severe affordable housing shortage, which is hurting employers, as the workforce is the life blood of any economy and they cannot find housing. We have been peddled everything you can think of, from houses that float like boats to a 400 square foot Katrina Cottage. The fact of the matter is we need well built, energy efficient housing that is family oriented and is affordable. Is that such a tall order? We need to reduce energy costs, insurance costs and create family oriented communities. This is how we rebuild the Gulf Coast – one family at a time.
Thank you for your support, business and prayers.