Two years ago on the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfalls in Southeastern Louisiana and at the Louisiana-Mississippi State Line along the Gulf Coast. Remembrances and updates have been plentiful and will keep coming, reminiscent of the relentless storm itself. There are so many depressing facts that some articles commemorating this 'anniversary' are determinedly upbeat: See, for example, Richard Fausset, "New Orleans: Two Years Later/Old City Revels in a New Spirit of Innovation" (Los Angeles Times Online, Wednesday, August 29, 2007).
Three facts from Orleans Parish/New Orleans are particularly sobering and cannot and should have never been ignored:
- If you are lucky enough to land a job in Orleans Parish in 2007, you have to also be lucky if you want to catch a bus to work. Only some 18% of the buses that were operational before Katrina struck are operational now, or 69 buses reported in operation now whereas 368 buses were operational before Katrina.
- If you have your children with you in Orleans Parish in 2007, you will also be lucky to find a school for them. Less than half or 58 out of 128 schools, are open as of the second anniversary of Katrina.
- If you get sick in Orleans Parish in 2007 and have to go to a hospital, good luck. Only a little more than half, 13 of 23, of the hospitals in Orleans Parish are open in 2007 compared to the hospitals that were open on August 28, 2005--the day before Hurricane Katrina made landfall. Source: Amy Liu & Nigel Holmes, "Op-Chart/The State of New Orleans: An Update" page A23, col. 1 (New York Times, Tuesday, August 28, 2007).
These figures, standing alone, have little if anything to do with Insurance but they have much to do with Catastrophe Claims. These figures, whether standing alone or together with other results of 'rebuilding,' evidence the shame--and, yes, the can-do opportunity--of a great nation.
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