Geography

Let’s do some geography. When speaking about the metropolitan New Orleans area, it’s helpful to know where the places are that are being discussed. After the lad came home and started reeling off names, I couldn’t quite place them in relation to each other on my mind’s map. So, here are a few visual aids because a lot of other folks probably don’t know the layout of the area, either.

State of Louisiana, parish map
#1. Orleans Parish (New Orleans)
#2. Plaquemines Parish (Also one of the parishes with devastating losses. Some of the folks there are availing themselves of some services and volunteer help from the surrounding parishes.)
#3. St. Bernard Parish (Arabi, Chalmette, Violet...)
Counties are called parishes in Louisiana.
(map via Encyclopedia Louisiana. Check out their interactive maps.)

Southern Louisiana with a good view of the bodies of water and incredibly shrinking bayous surrounding the parishes.

Larger drop down map
Labelled map.
(base map via Google maps.)

Slightly larger drop down image
Satellite image of the upper 17th Street Canal break. There were three, I think.This image is of a neighborhood by the shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Water levels there were around 10-12 feet high.
(Image courtesy of NOAA. Check out their segmented map showing satellite images of the entire metropolitan area from the hours directly following the canal breaks.)

This is a satellite image of the Industrial Canal break in the lower 9th ward. Notice, where the canal is broken, that there are no houses left. The force of the water completely obliterated a neighborhood. The rest of the houses were tossed around like toothpicks. Also notice the barge, to the right of the levee break, sitting on top of several houses. I’ve also included a link to a much larger image, which is well worth a look. If you place your mouse over that image a “+” sign should show up. Click on the photo to make it bigger.There are 5000+ people still missing in New Orleans. Given the destruction this image details, it’s not difficult to imagine that there are a number of people still buried beneath the incredible piles of rubble.
(Image courtesy of NOAA.)

And image overlooking portions of St Bernard Parish. The flooding there was mainly from the storm surge coming in off the Gulf and from Lake Borgne. As St. Bernard Parish abuts the lower 9th ward, some of that storm surge also hit the lower 9th ward. Water from the storm surge met the water from the canal break causing intense currents that swirled houses around like tops.
(Image from WWL TV, I believe, but found on a forum)

And, finally, for those who are curious what the lower 9th ward looks like...this image will show you what it still looked like in March 2006. The photograph is a surround view and it was taken by a volunteer. It’s a HUGE image, but also well worth waiting for it to load. Quite a lot of clean-up had already taken place on this street. Relatively speaking. At least there is a street. It’s hard to believe that it was a densely populated urban neighborhood with well-defined blocks and neat rows of houses. Again, place your mouse over the image to expand it.