Tim and I definitely had a great time in New Orleans, but we also chose to spend an entire afternoon taking a tour of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I wasn't sure if I wanted to take pictures or just take it in. But then I thought it would be a great educational opportunity for my own children down the road. I ended up taking pictures for the last hour of our tour and I could have taken a million more. Of course, it's 3 1/2 years later, but the aftermath seems as though it happened just months ago. It was sad, devastating, eye-opening and maddening. As our tour guide said, it isn't about politics.....be your own judge and decide for yourself. Tim and I learned so much on this tour and it opened our eyes to the reality many Americans face on a daily basis. The above picture is just one example of many...an abandoned home with goals of returning.....but 3 1/2 years later, the owners have yet to return.
Tim and I saw way too many of these X's. If you remember seeing them in the news, it tells you which National Guard checked the home, what date (notice they were finally able to check this home 3 weeks later), and the number of survivors/dead found. It was shocking and real to see this in person. It was shocking to see how many dozens of these we saw. It was devastating to learn what the numbers meant.....and the many we came across where there were a number of bodies and no survivors....still there, 3 1/2 years later. Every once in a while you would see a home spray painted with a note on the side of the house....the one that choked me up the most was one that read,
"Lisa and Donnie are OK." 
One of many abandoned homes.....too many homes looking like this in what used to be nice neighborhoods.
They were able to fix the roof on this house, but as you can see, not much else.
Many homes are rebuilding and through the process, they are required to raise their home 3 feet. Here is a home that is going above the 3 feet requirement.
Tim and I definitely had a great time in New Orleans, but we also chose to spend an entire afternoon taking a tour of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I wasn't sure if I wanted to take pictures or just take it in. But then I thought it would be a great educational opportunity for my own children down the road. I ended up taking pictures for the last hour of our tour and I could have taken a million more. Of course, it's 3 1/2 years later, but the aftermath seems as though it happened just months ago. It was sad, devastating, eye-opening and maddening. As our tour guide said, it isn't about politics.....be your own judge and decide for yourself. Tim and I learned so much on this tour and it opened our eyes to the reality many Americans face on a daily basis. The above picture is just one example of many...an abandoned home with goals of returning.....but 3 1/2 years later, the owners have yet to return.
Tim and I saw way too many of these X's. If you remember seeing them in the news, it tells you which National Guard checked the home, what date (notice they were finally able to check this home 3 weeks later), and the number of survivors/dead found. It was shocking and real to see this in person. It was shocking to see how many dozens of these we saw. It was devastating to learn what the numbers meant.....and the many we came across where there were a number of bodies and no survivors....still there, 3 1/2 years later. Every once in a while you would see a home spray painted with a note on the side of the house....the one that choked me up the most was one that read, "Lisa and Donnie are OK." 
One of many abandoned homes.....too many homes looking like this in what used to be nice neighborhoods.
They were able to fix the roof on this house, but as you can see, not much else.
Many homes are rebuilding and through the process, they are required to raise their home 3 feet. Here is a home that is going above the 3 feet requirement.