Dynamics of Katrina

Tom offered to drive us, a resident tour-guide. The lower 9th Ward is not as far from Marigny as I thought it would be. Houses get gradually rougher and less ornate. Floor to ceiling bars now grace the front porches of many a front stoop – creating something that looks like an in-home prison. Tom shakes his head, it’s a recent trend here. Then we’re across the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (or “Mr. Go”, for short), a shipping canal that cut some 50 miles of Mississippi meandering from the river travel route. Tom explains how it’s one of two problems for Louisiana.

The first is the rapidly declining wetlands or bayou around the city. The water-logged bayou actually reduces the strength of the hurricane and waves—like a naturally occurring soggy sponge! There’s some crazy ratio for each mile of bayou traveled, a hurricane loses a mile of speed, or something (I can’t remember the ratio) But it adds up!

When Mr. Go was implemented 40 or 50 years back, it busted a clear, resistance-free path through bayous and backwater for hurricane travel, straight into the heart of areas that had been previous unaffected, or at least less affected by serious hurricanes. Apparently they knew this way back when – this was a known risk and residents resisted Mr. Go but to no avail. After Katrina, the plans are in the works to finally shut Mr. Go down.

But there it sits, a series of locks and a lethargic, murky-mud straight channel lacking all scenic or historic grandeur of the Mississippi, that wanders up ahead.

We then cross over the river, and begin the descent into the bowl. The other Katrina factor, is the geographic “bowl” the city of New Orleans is stretched across. At the higher sides (still below sea level, but comparatively higher) rest areas like French Quarter & Marigny. As we drive the depression increases and we sink into the lower 9th ward, where, from the series of broken levees river water could freely and easily surge downward and fill up old streets, generational homes, backyards and attics as it tried to find its equilibrium.

Before us the memorial art - increasing pillars that track increasing water to its maximum height over 10 feet as we drive under it.