what to DO ?!

They're trying to figure out what to DO with 10,000 FEMA trailers?!

I'd imagine the residents of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas would have a suggestion ... or 10,000. 10,777 to be exact. Fully-furnished ready-manufactured housing, which FEMA says it can't move because there's a rule against putting manufactured housing ... wait for it ... on a flood plain.

You've GOT to be kidding me.

For whatever reason, including "the simple fact of not wanting hurricane evacuees in your backyard." Well, sure, 'cause having 10,777 TRAILERS is so much more appealing.

Honestly. People. This isn't rocket science. I'll readily admit that a lot of city planning, and crisis management, and civic policy, etc., is far beyond my understanding -- or my desire to understand.

But. COME. ON. PEOPLE.

Thousands of homes destroyed in four states. Tens of thousands of people without homes, or resources. And ten thousand ready-to-live-in-this-minute trailers ...

are.
sitting.
there.

speaking of far

I knew people had been evacuated, displaced, frankly just FLED throughout the country following Hurricanes Katrina & Rita ... I had NO idea that children alone were displaced to FORTY of the fifty states. Good grief.

What a remarkable milestone, though, to have finally reunited the last child (on record) and her family. Six months later. Can't imagine.

how far we've come

Twelve short days (and a pretty long drive!) and we'll be in Beaumont.

Outside of Houston, on the Texas gulf coast, Beaumont and Port Arthur were slammed by Hurricane Rita, less than a month after Hurricane Katrina had devastated the gulf coasters a little to the east.

So 'little to the east,' in fact, that this area was a prime location for Katrina evacuees to land ... and then either evacuate or get hit again a short month later. Hard to imagine.

We're not sure yet exactly what our work will be ... some groups are still assisting with demo and tear-out ... but some are moving projects to the rebuild and renewal phase. Either way, there is plenty of work ... I doubt we'll run out of options!

Six months out, most residents have returned (an estimated 10% have not yet) and many businesses have reopened.

I look forward to being back in Texas, and doing what we can to extend help and hope to a resilient community that shouldn't be forgotten.

Back from NOLA ...

(Matt is a friend who lives/lived in New Orleans, has evacuated with his family to a couple of places, and is currently in the D.C. area, perhaps for 'good'. This is his chronicle of a very recent trip 'back'.)

... on what would seem to be a more permanent basis. More about that later.

Did the obligatory disaster tour with a townie friend just to see how things are going. I'll be honest - while I saw things had improved, and was flat out amazed to see many people in the Lower 9th/Holy Cross area and eastern St. Bernard in FEMA trailers fixing their homes up. These areas will be built back through the sheer will of the people. Brother Martin and Holy Cross schools were open, albeit mostly in trailers, but it was such a symbol of loyalty of its alums and the Church that even a cynic like me understood the meaning. It was all inspiring to see. I also saw my first disaster tour bus. Kinda creepy.

But to be honest, heartbreaking as well. You see the hard work that these people are putting in, spending all they have, not waiting for FEMA or the Congress, and there is the real possibility they may be told they will not be allowed to continue their efforts and their houses will be razed. Or that they will rebuild and will be let down again by promises of protection that won't be kept.

There's still no clear plan on how to rebuild NOLA, and for all the talk about the Army Corps of Engineers working 24/7 to fix the canal flood walls and levee breaches, I saw no one working on either the 17th Street or Industrial canal breaches. Less than 100 days to go. They have put a fence around the 17th Street canal breach so you can no longer climb around it, but my friend and I did find a pile of those huge sandbags you saw on tv being dropped by helicopter into the breach. As you flip through the pictures linked below, that's what I'm standing on.

Gentilly, Bywater, Lower Ninth, Arabi, East Chalmette and what I saw of Lakeview all benefitted from green - the grass and the trees have brought some color. Still I didn't see any birds or insects, where they were in abundance on the Northshore. And there are people around. Noticed many people "from away" (mostly church groups and spring breakers) cleaning up areas in the Lower Ninth and Holy Cross areas.

But, it just seemed like so little has happened since I left last December. The Northshore is back to its normal. Or its new normal. Around Old Mandeville, people have started to raise and others raze their homes. To me, it looked better with the really demolished homes removed and the lots smoothed out, but I think many old timers from that part of town are wary of what will be built in its place. On the north side of Mandeville, a new subdivision seems to have been built almost to completion in the 3.5 months I've been away. Smaller, attached homes. Necessary, and no doubt only the beginning of this kind of development, but lacking even the charm that my house on Logan Lane has. It looks like a large, long term FEMA trailer park may be going in on 1088. The flavor of Mandeville has changed more since I've left. People seemed to have adjusted to the traffic (or maybe NoVA has blinded me) but I was shocked actually get a little rude treatment from people. Fast food and gas stations still close at 7pm due to a shortage of workers.

My subdivision looked pretty good. Only one house for sale and only 2 houses that needed roof repair. I would say about 80% of the tree debris that is visible from the road has been cleaned up - and it makes a huge difference. Managed to get in a spinning class at the PAC. It was great to see the peeps. Few old faces gone and a few new faces. I had the impression that many were still in a holding pattern - it seems everyone in Mandeville works for an oil company or sold medical supplies and since there are no doctors in NOLA (it's really bad) and other than Shell the oil companies are still kind of mushmouthed about their return plans, so there are many people still kinda stuck in a holding pattern on the Northshore as well.

The new Acme in Covington was - like every other open foodie place - totally packed. It did not stop me from eating huge amounts of raw, chargrilled and fried oysters on both Saturday and Sunday nights. Tip - sit at the shucking bar at the new location, you'll get bigger and better oysters. As to be expected, I drank many beers. Also, as I had expected, but I guess had not thought about the degree, I was just amazed by how good to me my friends and the people I knew from Louisiana are to me. We'll all like to talk about having those relationships where you claim you would do anything for that person, or you know people that would do anything for you, but I'm not sure how legitimate that is. I believe it to be deep and genuine with those folks in Southern LA.

My friends seem to be doing well. I'll admit however, and this may just be because I've been away and can now notice it, that there is a noticeable level of distress amongst some of them. While I'm not surprised as I had been in the middle of it for some time, a high paying job and a fat savings account can be no match for some things. I understood this, but seeing people I know, who share with me some of their concerns, reminds me of this. Take heed.

I wonder if I've rambled in the email so much because I am worried that my overarching opinion -- that NOLA and the surrounding area is still in very bad way (I was frankly shocked in some ways) -- will overshadow my belief that the area deserves to and should be rebuilt (we can debate on the form that it takes) and that the slowness of response, failure to accept responsibility and current and ongoing bickering about money is something we should all be ashamed of. We all live in places that could be destroyed, we all could lose everything and among the first to help would be people from Louisiana. Remember that.

Anyway, my pics from the trip: here and here.

When you compare them to this and this ...

Not too much has changed.

setting the standard

Have you noticed that 'Katrina' is the standard shorthand language now for 'really bad storm' or 'major disaster'? It's the measuring stick for damage, destruction, and to an extent, recovery.

The completely bizarre weather that's dancing around the midwest the last few days has done some serious damage, leading at least one mayor to compare his town's decimation to the swath cut six months ago by Hurricane Katrina.

Fair or unfair isn't really the point here ... adequate or inadequate comparison could be debated ... I just find it interesting how certain terminology becomes commonly used, commonly defined.

Foxhole mentality? Experience disaster = empathy? Interesting to consider, particularly when such empathy, compassion, etc., has moved many to respond ... and yet others (as in the Samaritan story our children studied this last month) have chosen simply to "pass by on the other side."

we're coming along

The loss and damage that extends throughout the gulf states of this country is beyond imagination. The overwhelming fear, anxiety, frustration, anguish, anger ... every emotion you can name ... floods through the people as surely as the wind, water, and debris flew through the towns.

So to see and hear of someone who lost his home to the storm, and his wife while evacuating -- putting this kind of time, effort, and heart into recovery ... and not just of his own life, but the lives of those around him ... is staggering.

It also reminds me that the things that inconvenience me, that take my time and money, even that cause some damage to my home or my relationships ... still pale so severely in comparison to the realities of life for hundreds of thousands of people in my own nation. (The struggles and stories of people throughout the world do the same thing ... but that is a greater issue for another blog.)

We have long heard it said that "Knowledge is power." I hope that's true ... it feels more and more true all the time. As I make the effort to stay attuned to news, updates, stories, pictures, images, reports, bulletins, requests ... and as we prepare to take a second work group into storm-affected areas ... I sense a growing power.

There seems to be an understanding that the 'system' cannot completely handle the problem ... couldn't in the moment, and certainly can't now. The way communities will survive THIS is the way communities have always survived ... by BEING community. By working together for the greater good ... by serving another's need before my own ... by doing whatever is needed whenever I can in order to stay aware, remain educated, remember to be grateful, and above all to care for another in their need.

a pile of stuff

The President is in New Orleans today ... his 10th trip to the region since Hurricane Katrina.

Congress is poised to allocate $4.2 billion in flexible community development funds for areas affected by the hurricane, but lawmakers have decided to dedicate that money to all states affected by Katrina. Bush said Congress must allocate the $4.2 billion just for Louisiana, to help residents whose homes have been damaged or destroyed.

And the other states? The other hurricane(s)? Where is the help for them?

“You’ve got a pile of stuff here,” the president remarked at one point, watching from a mold-infested pink duplex as a small bulldozer shoved a mattress, toys, a cooking pot, several pairs of blue jeans, a single brown shoe and a pair of women’s underwear down the street.

A pile of stuff.

Yeah, you could say that. Here. There. And everywhere.

The whole thing ... the. whole. thing. ... makes my head spin.

learning as they go

The Army Corps of Engineers. "They may never have done {this} before."

"This" being a demolition ... someone is being paid to come in and "help" in the "clean-up" by FLATTENING YOUR HOUSE ... the one you've lived in for more than 40 years ... and they may never have done it before?!

I know, I know ... it needs to be done, necessary evil, greater good, yadda yadda yadda.

But holy smokes ... I just ... it makes me hurt. Having walked through and worked in neighborhoods that defy description, I know that many of these homes ... most of them in some areas ... are going to be razed. But to have to watch it ... to be there when it happens ... and to know that yours is first! The test house!

I remember standing with Ms. Simmons in closet after closet of her home ... which you can see was once lovely ... and her tired but strong voice saying I'll never be able to save that ... ah, I never even wore that ... eh, I was ready to get rid of that anyway ... oh, that was my daughter's ... that's from one of the kids I took care of ... To stand there with someone's very memories in my hands, and carry them to the curb, and have her thank me for helping her ...

None of it's easy ... not standing there watching it happen ... not coming in and trying to help ... not driving the truck and learning as you go ... none of it is easy. Not at all.

just how closely

Sometimes you get a note that just really covers it all.

specifics: Patti is a church member; Laura is her daughter, a seminary student doing a chaplaincy fellowship at Hanover College. Carmel is a 'burb north of Indy; Southport is - you guessed it - south side of town.

Hi,

I wanted to share with you two a neat connection that took place in New Orleans this past week. My mom called today to let me know that Southport's interim minister just returned from a week of volunteering in New Orleans. It turns out that they stayed at the same DOC church in Covington, LA as Laura and her group and worked along with them. He mentioned Laura in his sermon today (so of course my parents were in tears!) and mentioned he had photos of her in her mask. Evidently the kids left the area yesterday morning, but I haven't heard from her yet. He talked about what an awesome group they were and their high level of commitment to the tasks at hand. (Courtney, can you just imagine my dad and mom sitting there listening to this?) It was a very good connection for them, and I'm glad they made it to church today. They don't make it there so much anymore.

Fred's wife mentioned that the church down there is in need of cookies for all the volunteers. They can't seem to have enough. So SCC is sending some boxes down, and perhaps we might do the same. It might be a neat youth event to collect cookies for DOC churches down there that are supporting/hosting volunteers.

Mom also said that a couple from Carmel is actually heading up this work with that church, and they've been living there, doing this work for some time now. It's become their mission. So it's wonderful to see our denomination take such an active role in this effort. It's becoming more and more obvious that the churches have really made the biggest difference down there.

Anyway, just thought you'd both be interested in this connection. We learn more and more just how closely our faith connects us in ways we never imagined.

Peace~
Patti

And? We're working on the cookie thing. Just to let you know. ;)

i'll always wonder

It's unfathomable to me -- safe, sound and secure in my bungalow home, cracked ceiling, funky basement and all -- that STILL, after six. months. people have no place to call home, and no idea of when 'home' will finally come to pass ... or where.

But that's the case for many residents of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. Oh, yeah! Four states' worth of damage -- not just damage, that's too mild. Devastation. It's important to keep in mind that New Orleans -- given the extend of the flooding and standing water from the levee breaks -- is receiving the bulk of the press (in the moment and still) but that the Hurricane Twins, Katrina and Rita, made their presence known along a HUGE stretch of the Gulf Coast, not just in one city.

The impact, of course ... the people and towns and communities affected ... is even more far-reaching than that coastline.

Throughout the country, in the early fall of last year, every conceivable space -- church, community center, abandoned warehouse, unleased retail storefront -- became either shelter, supply house, or hub of operations for those who hustled to do anything and everything possible to help.

And sometimes, as Newsweek web exclusive contributor Dan Cole points out poignantly, 'hustle' often means 'cut corners,' and that can have dire results.

It's an impossible task, crisis intervention. You want to help. Everyone wants to help. But who decides who gets help, and when, and how, and how much? And who decides who helps, and who tells them what to do TO help? And if you decide one thing now, will it come back to bite you in the hind end in a week, or a month, or six months? But if you don't decide, you're sitting there with resources in hand ... but what good do they do in YOUR hands? Impossible, yes?

The ache in Mr. Cole's "voice," even though this piece is dated October '05, still rings in my ears. Having served in a similar capacity in late September, working as go-between for First Christian Church (Tyler TX) and the Tyler Red Cross, trying to do whatever needed to be done to make the relationship work to the benefit of both parties and most significantly to the benefit of the anguished 'displaced' who were now (in whatever way, for however long) 'residents' ... when Mr. Cole says "I'll always wonder whether I could have done more." ... well ...

I will too.

unless you do something

When we were in New Orleans in November, nearly every conversation included -- if it wasn't just started with -- the telling of the 'getaway' tale:

How long did you wait to leave?
Who went with you?
Where did you end up?
How did you find everyone later?
Where are you staying?
When will you come back?

As have most major networks, MSNBC has created extensive online coverage of the aftermath and recovery from the hurricanes. One feature is the ongoing relationship with six different people ... hearing from them every few months.

Today I clicked in on Maxine Harris, from Westwego LA. The update mentions that she was the one who orchestrated her family's evacuation ... another common story: one person, usually the 'matriarch,' who gave everyone instructions and made sure everyone was tended to and accounted for.

Obviously the best news is that their family is safe ... more good news is that the check (however delayed) is finally in the mail ... and the wisdom Mrs. Harris offers comes from her situation, and speaks to each of us, wherever we struggle --

career focus ...
renewed relationships ...
healthy habits ...
rebuilding home and livelihood ...

"I guess our lives would stay on hold unless you do something about it."

far from normal

Back again, blog in hand, so to speak.

Ash Wednesday. Lent begins today, a 40-day season of reflection and consideration ... a period devoted (ideally) to spiritual introspection and expressions toward faithful expansion.

In a month ... a month from tomorrow, in fact ... a group from Geist will be headed southward, this time to Port Arthur/Beaumont, to assist as we can with the rebuilding and recovery post-Hurricane Rita.

Over the course of the next month (plus change) ... for my own personal discipline, and by way of reminder, refresher and preparation for this coming mission ... I'm reviving the when did we see you weblog. In an effort to recall that -- while we have continued to whirl in our own circles of self-interest -- many remain uncertain of the safety and health of family ... the security and condition of damaged homes ... or the likelihood of even being able to use that word, 'home,' in the same way again.

So ... perhaps daily, perhaps every few ... I'll be sharing a story, article, commentary, link, audio file, etc., that catches my attention ... offers insight and wisdom ... prepares us to travel and serve ... whatever.

Michele Norris of NPR caught my ear today. She talked about the clean-up after last night's final Mardi Gras festivities in the streets of New Orleans. She said that clean up didn't happen the way it normally did ... "But you know," she said, "there's so much here that's so far from normal."

Please feel free to leave comments (click the word 'comments' at the end of any entry). Offer your own remarks, post a link to something that's captured YOU, whatever you'd like ... just connect with us!

Thank you for being part of this journey ... in September, in November, this spring, and in the future. Should nothing else hold true, one reliable remnant of this vast national experience -- the complete reach of which is far beyond anything we can imagine -- is the understanding that we absolutely, positively, must do all we can to nurture, challenge, and value community. We have to.

The alternative is even more devastating than any storm could ever be.