Big, Not So Easy

Of all the assignments, this week, I've worried most about this one: Leigh asked me to fill in for her usual Wednesday post about developments along the Gulf Coast related to Katrina and other natural disasters.

This is especially challenging because... well, I usually get my information from her.

One of the reason I admire my friend most is because she's done the work:  Leigh has helped with relief and rebuilding efforts in New Orleans for years, shaping her perspective on issues of inequality and activism, and she is a passionate advocate... oh the arguments...er, discussions... we've had where, usually, she will triumph through her thorough command of the facts and her faith in having used the facts to reach the right conclusion.  I'm a big fan... I just had to throw that in; and she has taught me a lot.

In any case, here we are. My own focus on the Gulf Coast is on disaster relief and preparedness; I am fascinated by storm chasers (perhaps later we can discuss my crush on the Weather Channel's field staff), and by hurricanes generally, and I was horrified by the failures to respond to Katrina thanks to the poor oversight of the Bush Administration. Leigh has been a passionate advocate for better efforts at rebuilding, and how to find good answers in the aftermath.

Below the fold, a few stories that caught my eye, covering a range of Gulf Coast preparedness and recovery issues. I'm hoping some regular readers, who deal more closely with these issues, will weigh in with their observations and insights.

First up: As we move into hurricane season, the question returns: are we ready? All eyes will be on the Obama Administration and FEMA this year to get it right after major storms, even though it's probably unrealistic to expect miracles just 7 months after the election, and less than 5 months since Obama took office. The problems with FEMA and disaster relief are not things that could be fixed quickly. However, it's likely we will see good response to basic needs in the immediate of aftermath of upcoming storms. Already, we're seeing better coordinated efforts to provide information ahead of any storms: the White House and a number of states have begun providing how-tos on preparing for storms, and focusing more on details for potential evacuation plans. Thanks to our recent experiences, fewer people want to play hero (or a Weather Channel storm chaser) and more people evacuate when told, and use the planned routes. Here's hoping we can come through without extensive new problems to solve.

Meanwhile, the Obama Administration is announcing a solution to one of the lingering problems of past storms - the thousands of people still stuck in FEMA trailers, with few options for affordable housing. The latest plan will allow remaining trailer residents the option of purchasing a trailer for a nominal fee (possibly as low as $1), and remaining in the communities where they've relocated. The government will be trying to move people out of "Travel trailers" - the ones that were never meant to withstand storms - to "park models" or mobile home units (without the formaldehyde issue) that are stronger. The government will also relieve people who have already moved to purchase trailers at higher prices by reimbursing them. More importantly, the Obama Administration is pushing Louisiana and Missisippi to use federal relief funds to make more afoordable housing options available, he;ping with rent and security depsoit subsidies. Although we still need to see more details, the comitment to solving this problem and not continuing to extend false "deadlines" to vacate or evict remianing families are welcome developments, and an indication, I think, that the Obama folks work best at the smaller, basic aspects of working to make government work.

Finally, the LA Times last week noted the struggle within New Orleans to rebuild in a way that makes sense for everyone, and the "master plan" the city intends to use to manage rebuilding. Residents in low lying areas - mainly African Americans - remain concerned that rebuilding is more focused on white neighborhoods on higher ground, and that city officials (including the new white majority City Council) might be embracing the idea of a "shrunken footprint" for New Orleans that abandons some sections of town (like the Lower Ninth Ward).

In the early stages of recovery, the idea of shrinking the city's footprint was most prominently espoused by the nonprofit Urban Land Institute, which was hired on to advise the citizen-led Bring New Orleans Back Commission appointed by Nagin. The proposal sparked outcries from displaced residents and their allies.

Dismantling neighborhoods, they argued, was a violation of human rights. Perhaps an attempt at ethnic cleansing. A former City Council president said the concept was tantamount to "not honoring the dead."

Under this pressure, Nagin and the city government allowed Katrina's exiles to return and more or less rebuild wherever they wished. Since then, New Orleans has grown to an estimated 336,000 residents -- about three-quarters of the pre-storm count.

With Ray Nagin set to leave office soon, and with changes to the office of recovery (whose chair leaves this month, and which Nagin intends to refocus as an office of Community Development), New Orleans is poised to move into a new phase of recovery and rebuilding... and not necessarily in a good way. It's clear that concerned residents will continue to nedd to speak up, speak out, and organize to challenge business and government interests.How that will unfold... well, I'm hoping to find out from Leigh when she gets back. What possibilities do you see?

(Photo of hurricane at sea by markusram, used under a flickr Creative Commons license)