September 14, 2009

New Orleans hosted its annual ceremonial bell ringing August 29 to commemorate the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The event symbolized the exact time that the first levee was breached in New Orleans as a result of the hurricane, and will also serve as a reminder of the lives that were lost as a result of the storm. A plaque unveiling was also a part of the Katrina Memorial, which serves as a burial place for unidentified and unclaimed victims of the storm.

“As we gather this weekend to commemorate the storms of 2005, New Orleanians will remember their family members and friends that were lost and those who remain displaced and have not been able to return home,” said Mayor C. Ray Nagin. “But they will also be encouraged by the progress that we’ve made in four years and the recovery that continues. We are rebuilding a city that will be better and stronger than ever before.”

New Orleans has begun infrastructure construction projects that will total more than $1.2 million, including more than $640 million that is being spent to restore streets and roadways throughout the city. The city is repairing public buildings, playgrounds and parks. In addition, the city recently announced plans to construct five new libraries and is currently restoring the Joe Bartholomew Golf Course in the historic Pontchartrain Park neighborhood.

A new report from the local firm CGR and Associates documents that, “The most striking aspect of the region’s recovery over the past four years is how quickly it has proceeded.” The city’s population is at nearly 80 percent of pre-Katrina and the population for the New Orleans region is 88 percent of what it was before the storm. A total of $26 billion in construction is either completed, underway or in final design in New Orleans. New Orleans has been named the fifth best city to get a job. Business Week named New Orleans one of the ten best cities to ride out the recession. And Money Magazine named New Orleans the sixth strongest real estate market in the country.

“Our work is not yet complete. We must continue to address difficult issues such as healthcare and public safety,” said Nagin. “But just four years after the greatest natural and man-made disaster in our nation’s history, we are on the road to a complete recovery. Together, we are creating a city that will be better than ever before.”