Toilets of Hurricane Katrina and the Gentilly District

Visiting the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast a year after Hurricane Katrina, we were struck by the vast number of abandoned porta-potties. It looks like they were set up quickly for the rescue workers and just abandoned. Hmmm, I suspect the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) was paying for the service and the contractors figured it was easier to bill for loss of equipment rather then retrieve the units.

These cheerful units were in the Lower Ninth Ward. It was easy exploring. If you needed to use a lavatory, there was one on every 2nd or 3rd street corner. Very convenient. The contents had dried and congealed into solid masses, so the porta-potties were quite usable.

The Mississippi coast near Pass Christian and beyond was similarly well-supplied with abandoned Royal Flush containers. The manufacturers of these plastic units must have done well in 2005.

On a more serious note, the Gentilly part of town paralleled the London Avenue Canal. This failed in two sections and flooded the low-lying homes.

Many of the locals felt that government had failed them miserably. Can you blame them?