Is New Orleans a write-off?

[Hell Puppy]

Originally Posted by Weg Cory

I am pretty mixed up emotionally about it all.

I hate to say this, but my feeling is that the city is primarily finished. Mother nature has spoken.

I hope I am wrong. I do hope you are right. I sincerley mean that. However, being from the region, my gut tells me I am right.

Hopefully in a few months you will be reminding me how wrong I was. Being from the region, I grew up with this apocalyptic-scenario as a possibility. It is now a reality.

Again, I hope more than you know to be proven wrong.

Reality is probably somewhere inbetween.

Will it ever be the same? No.

Will the city just be left there as some sort of swamped ghost town? No.

The water will be drained, power and utilities will be restored, the muck will be cleaned. Buildings will be demolished and rebuilt. I think the time estimates currently being quoted are optimistic. I'd say minimum of 6 months to get back to any thing close to a fully functional city. And maybe a year or even two before it can even begin to resemble it's former self.

Think about little things like school for the kids? How long does it take to rebuild the school system? You need teachers, buildings for them to teach in, supplies, all of these things were washed away and destroyed more than likely. Not to mention buses, bus routes, etc. If you have school age kids do you return home til that's there? Tough choices for families.

A lot of business will not survive. A lot of people will move away.

I have friends from outside this business in Nawlins, they all got out alive. From speaking to them, it's currently about a 50/50 split on whether they'll return. Half say screw it, build somewhere else. The other half want to rebuild.

[Weg Cory]

Originally Posted by Hell Puppy

Reality is probably somewhere inbetween.

I agree with that.