Rebuilding New Orleans

From the concrete porch of her 7th Ward shotgun -- cracked now, thanks to Katrina's filthy floodwaters -- Alice Soublet has an unobstructed view of New Orleans' future.

Or, more accurately, its possible futures.

"That one's been fixed up, this one . . . the one down there," Soublet said, ticking them off as she looked down Republic Street at the properties being actively revived.

Most of the doubles across the street are gutted and tidy. The debris has been cleared, and at least three homes on Soublet's block, between Abundance and Treasure streets near Interstate 610, are renovated and occupied. Five trailers, three of them next to her house -- which has been cleaned but not fully repaired, because of a dispute between Soublet and her insurer -- offer further evidence of Republic Street's resurgence.

But the house two doors down from Soublet's could portend a grimmer future. With a fallen tree atop the carport, a moldering van beneath it, and a jungle of weeds in the front yard, the property could serve as a monument to Katrina's devastation. Save for towering weeds, it looks much the way it did when the floodwaters subsided 11 months ago. There's a similar eyesore catty-corner to Soublet's place, although the weeds were trimmed last week, much to her relief.

from the Times Picayune

view an interactive graphic (flash file) showing rebuilding activity from the Times Picayune

progress in St Tammany parish from the Times Picayune