New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS Then and nowThen and now

SPRING BREAK 2007SPRING BREAK 2007DUQUESNE UNIVERSITYDUQUESNE UNIVERSITY

Spiritan Campus Spiritan Campus MinistryMinistry

“The one we feared”

August 29th, 2005

Hurricane

Katrina

Some parts of New Orleans were under 20 feet of water.

Over 1.7 million people lost power as a result of the storm in the Gulf states.

A fire burns, surrounded by flood water.

Businesses and lives were destroyed.

It took flood waters in some areas weeks to recede or be pumped out.

What residents came back to…

Personal effects, lost forever…

18 months later…

A group of Duquesne University students and Spiritan Campus Ministers set out to spend their Spring Break in New Orleans helping with the rebuilding process…

This is what they This is what they saw…saw…

March 3rd – 10th, 2007

A stark line of remembrance still A stark line of remembrance still outlines most houses and outlines most houses and businesses - a line that is 6’, 8’, businesses - a line that is 6’, 8’, 12 feet or higher above the 12 feet or higher above the ground, a line that marks the ground, a line that marks the wrath of mother nature and in wrath of mother nature and in some instances failed some instances failed engineering. engineering.

““Nothing prepares you for this work. Nothing prepares you for this work. Everyone has seen the news, the Everyone has seen the news, the pictures from the Superdome, to pictures from the Superdome, to people being rescued from roof tops. people being rescued from roof tops. But, to be here and see with your own But, to be here and see with your own eyes makes it real and sculpts flesh on eyes makes it real and sculpts flesh on those images. It puts a name and a those images. It puts a name and a story to a face and abandoned story to a face and abandoned structures…”structures…”

A child once played A child once played here with her here with her teddy bear…teddy bear…

We learned about the Levee system.

This is a Levee.

“The first home we worked on…”

Our job for the week was to gut homes. None of us knew what to expect…

““Our first home was in St. Bernard Parish. The home Our first home was in St. Bernard Parish. The home we were gutting had not been touched since the we were gutting had not been touched since the storm hit 18 months ago. We walked up to the storm hit 18 months ago. We walked up to the home, brick facade, yard overgrown,home, brick facade, yard overgrown, some debris some debris outside, for the most part looking pretty good. Then, outside, for the most part looking pretty good. Then, we looked up and noticed grass, branches, part of a we looked up and noticed grass, branches, part of a neighbor’s fence and other wetland debris resting on neighbor’s fence and other wetland debris resting on the roof. The water topped out over the roof line.the roof. The water topped out over the roof line.

You walk through the front door as you have never You walk through the front door as you have never walked through a front door before, armed with walked through a front door before, armed with protective goggles, face mask, gloves, a tool in one protective goggles, face mask, gloves, a tool in one hand and your body covered head to toe. Your heart hand and your body covered head to toe. Your heart sinks and your stomach constricts itself into knots. sinks and your stomach constricts itself into knots. The storm has left its scar to rest here for over a The storm has left its scar to rest here for over a year and a half. You know everything is ruined, but year and a half. You know everything is ruined, but you are afraid to walk around so as not to disturb the you are afraid to walk around so as not to disturb the memories of this family…”memories of this family…”