Some dates settle in our nation's collective consciousness and can never be forgotten. August 29, 2005 -- the day that Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southeast Louisiana, and became one of the greatest natural disasters in United States' history -- is one of them. But the devastation of Katrina extends beyond the physical, and its aftermath can be felt by New Orleans residents old and new.
To better understand the city -- one so beloved by T+L readers -- 10 years later, we asked locals to offer thoughts on the hurricane, its destruction, and the city's triumphs and failures as it continues to rebuild. Cedric Angeles, the NOLA-based photographer whose images illustrate this piece, puts it succinctly: "I would argue that New Orleans has the most beautiful and deepest soul of any American city."
Here now, 5 unique voices chime in:
For 35 more reflections, head over to Travel + Leisure.
Liljose Tompkins, Make It Right foundation homeowner in the Lower Ninth Ward:
People don’t realize the mental anguish that we went through in the Lower Ninth Ward. It was not just about the devastation, but also the mental anguish of the city telling us that we were not allowed to come back to our area. A lot of people wanted to return -- I know that for a fact because I worked as a caseworker in Houston for those displaced by the storm -- but they couldn’t because they didn’t have the support of the city, nor Road Home, or any other programs.
Some people started calling us refugees -- well, we were treated like refugees, not like citizens. But I can assure you that I’m a citizen. In our neighborhood people were always taught to be an active part of the community, to learn how to own your own land, and to be the best that you can be. We are a community of people that love one another and care for our neighbors.
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Ashley Longshore, Artist, gallery owner, and entrepreneur:
In life, difficult times or challenges can inspire art. Ultimately Katrina really served as inspiration -- it inspired people to help one another and pull together, and it inspired artists to be more creative. It caused so much pain and trauma, but a great way to relieve that pain is to create art. New Orleans is such a great city because it is founded on and surrounded by the arts -- be it visual, musical, or culinary. It’s raw and edgy, and that’s inspiring. There is an undercurrent here of amazing growth happening right now. This is a city that celebrates art. We really embrace weirdness and I think that’s why for artists of all genres this is such a great city in which to grow. The city allows me to be my ultimate self, and to blossom and grow as an artist.
This city is like one giant love affair -- you come here and you fall in love with it, it’s like a marriage. Hurricane Katrina came and it was horrible, but it was just a hiccup in this lifelong love affair that I have with New Orleans. I’m not going anywhere.
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My husband and I often sit on the back steps in the morning with our coffee and try to come up with a short list of places we’d move to if “the big one” happened again. I’m the cockeyed optimist who believes that it’ll never happen and he’s the voice of doom. We’ve been having this same discussion for the last 10 years and still haven’t figured out any place we’d rather be. Why? Because despite the violence, which ebbed for a while and is now back in full force, the gentrification, and the sad, gap-toothed reality of neighborhoods yet to be rebuilt -- this is still a unique city of friendly and interesting people, funky culture, and great food that appears to be on the upswing.
But this is a simplistic overview. How are we really doing as a community? We have tons of new restaurants and bars, but are we taking care of the things and the people that need to be taken care of? Even before Katrina, we have had such a problem with public education and now education is a huge part of where we need to focus right now. That’s why I’m trying to work with groups like Liberty’s Kitchen, which is just one of many grassroots organizations that are doing good work.
I think it’s important for all of these new small, chef-owned restaurants to start giving back too. Whatever you can do! I know that it’s hard for small restaurants to give, but you have to find a way, even if it is just giving your time. A lot of people depend on us to step up and help.
Charlie Gabriel, Musician, Preservation Hall Jazz Band:
I believe that music is the most healing thing we have. Everything that we feel comes out in music -- in rhythm and in song. It nurses each and every one of us. Jazz is at the center of New Orleans. It’s a national treasure -- the only art form that we truly created. We nursed this spirit of music here in New Orleans, and we have kept it alive.
There was a big price to pay for Katrina. New Orleans will never be like it once was. This is a very strong city, with a lot of love and spirit -- but something was lost somewhere along the way, I don’t really know how else to say it.
It’s beautiful though, because a lot of people still come to New Orleans and I’m very happy now that there have been some great steps to rebuild the city. New Orleans is going to be beautiful, even better than before. But it’s always been beautiful to me. If you close your eyes, New Orleans is the most beautiful city in the universe.
John Besh, Chef and restaurateur:
It’s been 10 incredibly long years, and perhaps the shortest decade I’ve known, since the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Ten years since the burning buildings, the windblown rubble in the streets, the sunken neighborhoods, and the chaotic scramble of people searching, rescuing, praying, desperately trying to evade the wrath of the storm.
I’ll never forget the burning rage I felt when I watched the news for the first time a month after our beautiful city had been so devastated. I heard them search to blame: “It’s Bush’s fault!” “It’s the Democrats’ fault!” “It’s the Mayor’s fault!” or “It’s the Governor!” I heard political pundits question the validity of rebuilding New Orleans, and I heard things like, “What’s so special about the Crescent City?” My soul screamed, STOP! We will rebuild, it doesn’t matter what race, political party, or religion you are -- we are New Orleans!
And so we did, dish by dish, plate by plate. We fed each other and rebuilt a great city. The passion that stirred in us all defied both Mother Nature and the failed federal levees by creating a better city with more opportunities to share in her culture and where dignity for all was a priority. I saw chefs come from all over to rebuild restaurants and I saw those restaurants employ and give hope to others. Soon we had new housing, schools, streetcars, hospitals, and churches. I saw a city rebuilt through food and hospitality, hope and love. I witnessed the laughter, the tears, the dancing, and the frustration and have been in awe of the resilience of our culture.
A city is more than just a collection of buildings. It is the collective souls of those who dwell there. Here’s to our city, New Orleans. A beautiful, complex, and delicious mess. May we never go through this again and may we be ever thankful for those that helped us rebuild a better place than before... And sure, there is still work to do, but at least we know that tomorrow will be better and that the red beans will taste just the same.
For 35 more reflections, head over to Travel + Leisure.
By--Katie James, with additional reporting by Lauren Zanolli and Laura Itzkowitz.