This is a forwarded eyewitness report I received through a New Orleans mailing list I am on. While I have corrected some obvious typo’s, removed carrots, and removed people’s names and contact information and also did some formatting to correct some of the scrambling caused by several forwardings, nothing below this paragraph was written by myself. I know it still needs more formatting and is difficult to read in places but the person writing was almost certainly exhausted as they put it together. For those not familiar with New Orleans, this area reported on is only a tiny portion of the city and of course the person reporting only had a very superficial view of the area, this wasn't an in-depth inspection.
Hu
(included text)
Subject: Eyewitness report 9.5.05
Neighbors:
I just received this through a very lengthy forwarding, so I don't
Even really know who the author is. But it's an excellent eyewitness account from someone who didn't evacuate. I forward it in the hopes it gives you some solace.
(names deleted)
"I went into downtown New Orleans for the second time today,
this time spent a lot of time driving where I could. I'm going back tomorrow. The difference from Friday to today is stunning: the authorities have control. I felt very safe. Buses streaming into and out of the downtown area through the only route: I-10 to I-310 over the Luling Bridge to U.S. 90 to Westbank Expressway, then over the Crescent City Connection (the double span downtown bridge.) Saw very little evidence of looting. Floodwaters obviously receding.
THE CONVENTION CENTER CROWD: Most all of the people have been removed. Some still being picked up by buses when I left, but the difference between Friday and today was remarkable. I visited with some, and what hit me was all the people coming up to me begging me to put their names in the paper in
order that their relatives would know they were alive. they had
organized into various social groups, with adults taking turns sleeping while others watched the children and guarded the group from the few thugs that were causing trouble.
THE AUTHORITIES ARE IN CONTROL. They had secured most of downtown Friday, but had total control on Saturday. No signs of looting or damaging homes in Warehouse Dsitrict uptown to Audubon Park. I drove around a lot. Workers are everywhere. Convoys, buses, cops, helicopters, ambulances, airplanes streaming into New Orleans. Considering there is one way
into the city, I think the response has been really good.
MY PLACE ON JULIA (near) CAMP STREET: At 6(xx) Julia Street, if the electricity and water were on, I could host a party tonight. There was no damage whatsover to any of the Julia Row Townhouses.
ST. CHARLES AVENUE: NOT ONE LIVE OAK ON ST. CHARLES AVE. IS
DOWN!!!!!!!
I finally had my big cry drving down St. Charles when I
realized how very little damage. There were only about 4-5 water oaks on St. Charles down all the way to Tulane. Both Tulane and Loyola look like you could hold classes tomorrow. Saw no damage to the histroic St. Charles Avenue mansions.
LACK OF DAMAGE UPTOWN: There was very little noticeable damage to homes in the Lower Garden District or Uptown on the streets (I went all over, going from house to house of friends, saving Heidi Q's house). Now, something hit Heid's roof in the corner of her upstairs bedroom to cause a leak: a section of sheetrock about 4 x 6 feet had fallen, but that's it: there was a candle still sitting on a table near the edge of her back porch. I say this by way of saying that while I was stunned - and overjoyed – by the lack of visible damage, I couldn't see everything, of course, but I was driving a 4-wheel drive jeep and meandered as I could. Lots of limbs down, but my companion, Jimmy B, the artist, designer and historical archivist and I were ecstatic that most of it is superficial. Most of our trees are still there.
RED CROSS VERY VISIBLE: The Red Cross was visible, assessing damage to homes. The director, on, I think, State Street, told me he was very pleased with the lack of damage.
WAREHOUSE DISTRICT: There was little damage in the Warehouse District. I've seen more litter on the ground at Mardi Gras. As far as Julia Row is concerned, the New York Times and the Times-Picayune could have snapped those pictures they ran from the corner of Camp and Julia today.
AUDUBON PARK: I checked out a friend's house on Exposition on the edge of Audubon Park and it was fine. There were limbs, but very few trees, down in Audubon Park. Almost all animals survived at the zoo. Talked to the exhausted but happy zoo curator.
UPTOWN IN GENERAL: There were very isolated cases of trees down on houses: but here's the interesting part: the trees that were down fell in between houses or across the back yards, where the vortex of the which kicked them. I saw no major damage to homes on St. Charles.
FRENCH QUARTER: Signs still hanging from shops. Very little
evidence of looting anywhere that I've been: which is the Quarter (went down Bourbon to the 500 block, then turned back and came back out Royal; also drove around the Chartres/Decateur area near Canal Place; none of it got went), Canal to Bourbon.
FLOODWATER: Water obviously receded quite a bit since Friday's visit. The water from the lake and canal stopped on Canal in between Burgundy and Bourbon. The rest of the Quarter stayed dry. Water came to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St.Charles The water from the lake and canal stopped on Canal in between Burgundy and Bourbon. The rest of the Quarter stayed dry. Water came
to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St.Charles. Went to Audubon ZooAudubon Zoo from Tchoupaltoulas to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St. Charles. The water from the lake and canal stopped on Canal
in between Burgundy and Bourbon. The rest of the Quarter stayed
dry. Warehouse and almost all of Uptown stayed dry. Water came to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St.Charles. The water from the lake and canal stopped on Canal in between Burgundy and Bourbon. They sandbagged frantically in the quarter about 20 feet lakeside of Bourbon Street when the water started rising Wednesday. Water came to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St.Charles.
LITTLE EVIDENCE OF LOOTING: Saw a couple of looted shops on Magazine near the nursing home, but that's it. The door to Whole Foods Store was open and those night lights. Now, to be sure, in a total of about 12 hours in the city, 2 of them spent in my own building. AREA I HAVE VISITED SO FAR: Quarter to Conti, to Bourbon, down Royal, Chartres from 400 block to 200 block; all over Warehouse District, a bit of the Convention Center, Poydras (major damage to those very old live oaks in median while most of the fronds were still on the new palms at Harrah's two blocks away) Not much damage to live oaks in Lafayette Park. Been down St. Charles from Canal to Tulane. State, Webster, Eleonore, Coliseum from Napoleonville upriver for 6-7 blocks. Meandered through uptown, as downed trees, limbs, powerlines, etc. blocked many streets. All the way down Tchoupatoulis; Lower Garden District, Magazine, Camp. Went to Palmer as far lakeside of St. Charles as I could go. What's remarkable is the lack of major damage to this area. I know this contrasts with the misery and suffering elsewhere in the city, but the old historic New Orleans is in fine condition. I will continue going in and will send you more reports. I have so little free time (it's 11:20, and I'll be back at work at 9). I will try to read emails, but I'm losing ability to keep up with it.)
Pray for the thousands believed dead. Pray for the dead pets. Pray for most of the rest of the city, since most of it will have to be torn down. Be very grateful to the thousands of guardsmen and workers who have already started what is going to be a very rebuilding. Be grateful you have a bed and access to a computer to read this."
Hu
(included text)
Subject: Eyewitness report 9.5.05
Neighbors:
I just received this through a very lengthy forwarding, so I don't
Even really know who the author is. But it's an excellent eyewitness account from someone who didn't evacuate. I forward it in the hopes it gives you some solace.
(names deleted)
"I went into downtown New Orleans for the second time today,
this time spent a lot of time driving where I could. I'm going back tomorrow. The difference from Friday to today is stunning: the authorities have control. I felt very safe. Buses streaming into and out of the downtown area through the only route: I-10 to I-310 over the Luling Bridge to U.S. 90 to Westbank Expressway, then over the Crescent City Connection (the double span downtown bridge.) Saw very little evidence of looting. Floodwaters obviously receding.
THE CONVENTION CENTER CROWD: Most all of the people have been removed. Some still being picked up by buses when I left, but the difference between Friday and today was remarkable. I visited with some, and what hit me was all the people coming up to me begging me to put their names in the paper in
order that their relatives would know they were alive. they had
organized into various social groups, with adults taking turns sleeping while others watched the children and guarded the group from the few thugs that were causing trouble.
THE AUTHORITIES ARE IN CONTROL. They had secured most of downtown Friday, but had total control on Saturday. No signs of looting or damaging homes in Warehouse Dsitrict uptown to Audubon Park. I drove around a lot. Workers are everywhere. Convoys, buses, cops, helicopters, ambulances, airplanes streaming into New Orleans. Considering there is one way
into the city, I think the response has been really good.
MY PLACE ON JULIA (near) CAMP STREET: At 6(xx) Julia Street, if the electricity and water were on, I could host a party tonight. There was no damage whatsover to any of the Julia Row Townhouses.
ST. CHARLES AVENUE: NOT ONE LIVE OAK ON ST. CHARLES AVE. IS
DOWN!!!!!!!
I finally had my big cry drving down St. Charles when I
realized how very little damage. There were only about 4-5 water oaks on St. Charles down all the way to Tulane. Both Tulane and Loyola look like you could hold classes tomorrow. Saw no damage to the histroic St. Charles Avenue mansions.
LACK OF DAMAGE UPTOWN: There was very little noticeable damage to homes in the Lower Garden District or Uptown on the streets (I went all over, going from house to house of friends, saving Heidi Q's house). Now, something hit Heid's roof in the corner of her upstairs bedroom to cause a leak: a section of sheetrock about 4 x 6 feet had fallen, but that's it: there was a candle still sitting on a table near the edge of her back porch. I say this by way of saying that while I was stunned - and overjoyed – by the lack of visible damage, I couldn't see everything, of course, but I was driving a 4-wheel drive jeep and meandered as I could. Lots of limbs down, but my companion, Jimmy B, the artist, designer and historical archivist and I were ecstatic that most of it is superficial. Most of our trees are still there.
RED CROSS VERY VISIBLE: The Red Cross was visible, assessing damage to homes. The director, on, I think, State Street, told me he was very pleased with the lack of damage.
WAREHOUSE DISTRICT: There was little damage in the Warehouse District. I've seen more litter on the ground at Mardi Gras. As far as Julia Row is concerned, the New York Times and the Times-Picayune could have snapped those pictures they ran from the corner of Camp and Julia today.
AUDUBON PARK: I checked out a friend's house on Exposition on the edge of Audubon Park and it was fine. There were limbs, but very few trees, down in Audubon Park. Almost all animals survived at the zoo. Talked to the exhausted but happy zoo curator.
UPTOWN IN GENERAL: There were very isolated cases of trees down on houses: but here's the interesting part: the trees that were down fell in between houses or across the back yards, where the vortex of the which kicked them. I saw no major damage to homes on St. Charles.
FRENCH QUARTER: Signs still hanging from shops. Very little
evidence of looting anywhere that I've been: which is the Quarter (went down Bourbon to the 500 block, then turned back and came back out Royal; also drove around the Chartres/Decateur area near Canal Place; none of it got went), Canal to Bourbon.
FLOODWATER: Water obviously receded quite a bit since Friday's visit. The water from the lake and canal stopped on Canal in between Burgundy and Bourbon. The rest of the Quarter stayed dry. Water came to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St.Charles The water from the lake and canal stopped on Canal in between Burgundy and Bourbon. The rest of the Quarter stayed dry. Water came
to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St.Charles. Went to Audubon ZooAudubon Zoo from Tchoupaltoulas to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St. Charles. The water from the lake and canal stopped on Canal
in between Burgundy and Bourbon. The rest of the Quarter stayed
dry. Warehouse and almost all of Uptown stayed dry. Water came to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St.Charles. The water from the lake and canal stopped on Canal in between Burgundy and Bourbon. They sandbagged frantically in the quarter about 20 feet lakeside of Bourbon Street when the water started rising Wednesday. Water came to 4-5 blocks lakeside of St.Charles.
LITTLE EVIDENCE OF LOOTING: Saw a couple of looted shops on Magazine near the nursing home, but that's it. The door to Whole Foods Store was open and those night lights. Now, to be sure, in a total of about 12 hours in the city, 2 of them spent in my own building. AREA I HAVE VISITED SO FAR: Quarter to Conti, to Bourbon, down Royal, Chartres from 400 block to 200 block; all over Warehouse District, a bit of the Convention Center, Poydras (major damage to those very old live oaks in median while most of the fronds were still on the new palms at Harrah's two blocks away) Not much damage to live oaks in Lafayette Park. Been down St. Charles from Canal to Tulane. State, Webster, Eleonore, Coliseum from Napoleonville upriver for 6-7 blocks. Meandered through uptown, as downed trees, limbs, powerlines, etc. blocked many streets. All the way down Tchoupatoulis; Lower Garden District, Magazine, Camp. Went to Palmer as far lakeside of St. Charles as I could go. What's remarkable is the lack of major damage to this area. I know this contrasts with the misery and suffering elsewhere in the city, but the old historic New Orleans is in fine condition. I will continue going in and will send you more reports. I have so little free time (it's 11:20, and I'll be back at work at 9). I will try to read emails, but I'm losing ability to keep up with it.)
Pray for the thousands believed dead. Pray for the dead pets. Pray for most of the rest of the city, since most of it will have to be torn down. Be very grateful to the thousands of guardsmen and workers who have already started what is going to be a very rebuilding. Be grateful you have a bed and access to a computer to read this."