October 22, 2010

By: Beth B. from Muskegon Heights, MI
Comments: 10

Posted By: Beth Bessinger
On: 7/28/2010 10:00:36 AM

I attended the new Orleans City Of Neighborhoods project in July. I was very impressed with the whole program and came away with a whole new understanding of the damage caused by Katrina. Sitting in my living room 5 years ago and watching it all on TV distances ones self from the whole event. Watching the people on the roof tops and crowded into the stadium seemed so "sad and what a shame" to me while I was sitting in my nice dry home in front of the fan sipping on clean ice water. The bus tour through the 9th district and actually seeing ground zero, put a whole new spin on it for me. Being from Michigan, we may experience a power outage due to heavy snow but that doesn't last long and in the end, I still have my home and all its belongings! I would highly recommend anyone who is offered to attend this program to participate...you will not regret it! You too may walk away with an "awakening" like I did.

Posted By: Alicia Reeves
On: 8/15/2010 3:14:46 PM

Beth- I too had an awakening during my trip to NOLA this year. I think in my mind I never really got the actual makeup of New Orleans. I mean I never really realized that the homes were actual below the level of the water. I also thought that the levies were like dams not at all what I pictured. I also never grasped the true devistation until I saw it. I knew that all those people lost their homes but I guess I never knew how many of those people actually owned those homes. That those homes were what they worked their entire lives for and just how truly awful it must be like. I felt truly blessed during this trip.

Posted By: Sandra Dianna
On: 8/21/2010 7:56:38 AM

This trip gave me a new understanding of this tragic occurrence. When the one speaker made the comment that some of the people living in the Lower 9th Ward never knew what was coming and they were underwater before they knew what was happening, I had to take a moment to think about this situation. Then once I saw the area, I completely understood the magnitude of the tragedy. I guess I never really understood because in our area it floods from the ground up and we are completely used to continuous flooding. So Beth, I too sat in my home watching the news reports and never really understood the magnitude of what happened. However, after this trip and I saw the area and its topographical situation, I had a new understanding. The people in this area never had a chance. The water must have come in like a tsunami and was already at the roof level since the homes were the same height level as the levies. I have a new found empathy for the people who lived through this and the ones who didn't.

Posted By: Catherine Mott
On: 8/24/2010 2:39:09 PM

The first day we arrived Beth and I were "trapped" in the French Market because of a down pour. I remember standing there thinking "OK this will pass in 15 mins" an hour and a half later it was still raining so hard there were rivers in the street. It made me realize no matter where you live in the US we all have our extremes of mother nature, NOLA happens to have rain, storms and hurricanes which have been extremely devastating. I was glad for that day though because as we moved forward with our group design project it made me re-think what would and wouldnt work for the building and people of NOLA. Also, understanding the history behind the city of NOLA was imperative to understanding the devastation and weather patterns. Design is based on many different elements and can have numerous solutions. I am so thankful to have been part of CON NOLA.