Life

Evacuees in New Orleans. Photo (c) AP

Katrina hits hard

Having gained the opportunity to study in America for a year I opted to come as close as possible to one of the most vibrant and energetic cities in the world, New Orleans. 

Little did I know, as I boarded my plane three weeks ago, that I was about to step into one of the largest natural disaster area in all of US history.

Baton Rouge is the state capitol of Louisiana and also the home of LSU one of the largest university campus' in the South. Only an hour or two away from New Orleans I thought it to be the perfect location to carry out my dissertation research on the Civil Rights Movement and Jazz music. 

Upon hearing that there was a hurricane due to hit the Louisiana coast line, I was above all, a little excited to be able to experience such a thing. This in retrospect sounds kind of perverse but this area of the country receives hurricanes on a smaller scale almost every year. However, the closer Katrina came towards land, the more obvious it became that this was going to be an altogether more potential threat. Baton Rouge was lucky to be west of the hurricane and so the storm was bearable, with little lasting damage. Unfortunately, the city I had travelled all this way to see did not fair so well.

Glued to CNN for most of the weekend it became clear to me, from the pictures and footage inundating the news networks, that New Orleans received a near enough direct hit. With 80% of the city under water the relief work that was kick-started has proven disastrously problematic. My university in Baton Rouge is the nearest site with power and so classes were cancelled to facilitate what has now become the initial medical centre accommodating the exodus that is occurring from the Gulf Coast. 

Route 610 before and after. Photo (c) DigitalGlobe

This morning I went down to the basketball stadium to volunteer, as doing so I was chased overhead by several military helicopters and passed by a police escorted convoy of at least ten ambulances. Entering the site I was overwhelmed by the organised chaos that the Red Cross were putting in place. Medics, volunteers, caterers and workmen were all joined together in such an awesome display of solidarity with the one identical aim of helping their fellow Americans through such a distressing time.

The people of Louisiana and its surrounding states face one of the most difficult periods in their history but as strong as they are it has become clear that the city they loved the most will never be same again after such a devastating blow. My biggest regret is not visiting New Orleans three weeks ago as now it could be years before the 'Big Easy' is ready to party again.