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New Orleans elevation map

The ninth ward
is in the upper
right corner.

Satalitie image

Katrina high res satellite image

Hurricane Katrina: facts and other info

Where are the dollars going:

Facts:

Thank you IFOH ED Staff

I want to thank everyone who supported me on
this trip. If it were not for the support of all of you,
I would not have been able to make this journey.

I am forever grateful.

Thank you !

Going home II

I just got back from out processing. Checked in my staff credit card filled out a staff health questioner and went through a mental health screening. Monday morning I turn in my car and fly out that evening. I can't even think about being home. I'm not sure how it is going to be after spending so much time here. I'm going to miss a lot of people but I will also be glad to be back in a normal routine.

I can't believe how much I miss Lola and Ethan and Bear.

Going Home I

Tomorrow I go to headquarters for out processing. I don't actually leave until Monday night. I can't believe that my time is up. I have made so many friends and seen so many things that have changed my life. I will never forget this trip.

Reading time

At one time there were a lot of children around the shelter and some did not go to school. Volunteers took turns spending time with them reading and playing.

Hawaii Bound

This man owned the house behind this pile of rubble.
The house you see behind him came from across the street.
When I asked him what is was going to do he said.
"I'm going to Hawaii, maybe I can find a single woman there"

The Palace Casino

It was hard to grasp the extent of damage to this casino.

The broken concrete in front of it was a highway.

Waffle House wheel of fortune

This is what's left of the waffle house on the
coast of Gulf Port Mississippi.

Disaster found art

I am not sure if the person who did this meant
to be making art or was just separating personal
objects. Either way when I came across them
I fell in love with them.

Vest Signing

As volunteers would get ready to leave they would put their vests out for people to sign. Headquarters told everyone that all vests had to be returned and we were not supposed to do this.

Oh well ! It is a great souvenir, how can you blame them ?

Headquarters: chaos in motion

Emergency Response Vehicles getting ready

Next disaster I would like to drive an ERV.

Hotel 6 face lift

Cafe du monde

This is for you Lori !

New Orleans Pumping Station

Louisiana Capital Area Chapter

Visiting the host chapter

Dancing Bear at headquarters

Visiting headquarters / Hey Dancing bear, what's your real name ?

Ninth ward image

Mud cracked driveway.
---------------------------
Mud settled inside and out of the
homes leaving everything covered in sludge.













I will never forget the images I have seen during this trip.
I can't imagen what people are going through having
to give up everything they know and trying to forget
all they have been through. I have met both people that
will never go back and people that will never leave.

Ninth ward nightmare

The Ninth Ward was the hardest hit buy
flooding in the downtown New Orleans area.

Darkness came quickly surrounding us.
All of a sudden I realized that we should find
our way out and consider ourselves lucky.

We headed down to New Orleans after our shift. Julio drove like a maniac to try and get us there with enough day light left to photograph in. We drove over the bridge that leads deep into the ninth ward neighborhood where almost all of the homes were completely underwater. It was a ghost town not a soul in sight no cars no people no sounds, nothing.

The sun was setting fast and soon we realized that we where in the middle of an area with no electricity. This is where the national guard were getting shot at as they helped people get out. With not enough light to shoot in and realizing that there is no place to run to should we need help, I looked at Julio. "We need to get out of here, I'm scared" I told him. With only the headlights guiding the way we drove through the dark streets trying to find our way back over the bridge that separates the ninth ward from the main downtown area of New Orleans.

I have never been that scared. There are no police in that area, no stores open and not a single soul around. I will not go back there any time soon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below is a car that was completely underwater
and you can see the sludge marks as the water
receded. Cars like this are everywhere around
the ninth ward.

Me and Millie

Millie lost her home in New Orleans due to flooding. She is by far one of the best clients here. She was going to go to Texas but after visiting there she decided to stay in LA and live in a FEMA trailer.

Julio Navarro, traveling man

Julio is a native of San Diego, CA born in Tijuana, Mexico.
Somehow the story is that he sold a home in California and bought a mobile home and has been traveling the country in it. When he heard about Hurricane Katrina he was in Boston and decided to volunteer so he drove straight south to Baton Rouge, LA.


Jim and Julio doing Damage assessment Red Cross style

Hurricane Katrina Relief

FEMA was here today making lists of people to move into trailers.
It's hard to see people moving with very little left for possessions not knowing how long if ever they will return to their homes.

This image was taken by my friend Julio.
He was sitting on that side of the car and I was
to lazy to get out. copyright 2005 Julio Navarro


I can't remember every detail of all the many stories I have heard.

Red Cross Tuesday October 25, 2005

More people have left the shelter today and we are getting down to the last few.

Additional images

To see additional images
from my volunteer work
on Hurricane Katrina please visit: www.springphoto.com

Mississippi Damage / Hurricane Katrina

Here is just a sample of what I saw when we traveled to Mississippi.
I am anxious to get home and back to a normal life. I miss Lori and Ethan very much and want to see all of my family and friends. This has been an amazing experience for me.

This house was blown across the street into a neighbors yard.
Here is a typical sight of a house completely gone. Wiped right off it's foundation. No sign of any structure that resembled a house was found around this area.
A swimming pool and patio are all that's left of this house. Sometimes we could not even figure out where the house was if not for landmarks like this.
I have lots of images of cars turned up side down, twisted apart and thrown around as if they had no weight.
This is not a FEMA trailer but here is where this resident lives. This trailer is sitting in what was the middle of their house.

Baton Rouge, LA - Red Cross

Red Cross Shelter / Hurricane Katrina 2005
Istrouma Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, LA.

I have seven more days before I go home. I have been here with the Red Cross for two weeks now and miss Lori & Ethan very much. I have met a lot of people and made some great friends. I have seen destruction like I have never seen before. I would volunteer again.