Shannon & D In Slidell And The Storage Unit: D kept in touch with me via phone (strong signal – no dropped calls) as Shannon and he re-entered Slidell and, following that, Jefferson Parish the Allstate Insurance office. Quite a few Slidell homes have been devastated by wind damage, but clean water and power are back in several neighborhoods. Residents are back to survey damage to their homes and neighborhoods, and have already begun cleaning, clearing and rebuilding.
The storage unit in Slidell was indeed flooded – D and he spent a better part of today throwing out a lot of Shannon’s personal items. Unfortunately, Shannon’s Allstate homeowner’s (w/ flood) insurance does not cover items in the storage unit, and this is going to be a total loss. (We’re going to try and bake the hard drive for the poor lad.) To top it all off, I wasn’t able to find a single hotel room for them anywhere between New Orleans and eastern Texas and, therefore, the two mold-ridden guys are going to have to make it back into Texas smelling like hell. This is great news, given that I am allergic to two forms of mold that grow only in Louisiana and that Shannon and D are covered with it, not to mention how wonderful it will be when we return soon for our short visit. Speaking of re-entry …
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The Latest From Our Mayor About Returning: Earlier today, Nagin announced that, IF a forthcoming EPA report on toxins and status of septic water looks good, he wishes to re-open unaffected to less-damaged parts of the city to locals by zip code (aaah, smart move, the phased re-entry concept).
Should [the EPA] report be as promising as the mayor believes it will be … possibly as soon as next week … Nagin said he would begin to allow residents to return by zip code … return would involve Algiers, the French Quarter, Central Business District and Uptown, Nagin said. None of those areas were flooded.
Big IF. Again, if people go back and start to get sick, it’s the EPA’s and Nagin’s reputations in question, so please, everyone, take five on this one.
My mayor rocks, what with quotes like, “The city is out of nuclear crisis mode and we’re in day-to-day crisis mode.” Yes, now that the locust stream has been diverted to Nevada and Mars has postponed its attack, we simply have to deal with commonplace issues such as flooding, lack of clean water, finding provisions, sputtering power and the rejuvenation of business and life as usual. (Just joking – you’ve got to love Nagin and his lines – he has my vote!) I am POSITIVE that we can and will make it happen, and that Nagin is the man to lead us towards our goal, albeit that nagging feeling it’s going to take more than a few weeks.
As my neighbor said, “Let’s hope the mayor is right this time.”
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Non-Profit Fund Established To Help City Of New Orleans: As I mentioned earlier today, the city has no money, and this is frightening. Please pass on this article and find backers for a non-profit corporation set up to save our now-bankrupt city. Equally scary is the fund’s unattractive name – apparently, one of New Orleans’ primary needs is new PR representation.
Nagin spokeswoman, Tami Frazier, on the non-profit’s goals:
… anything we do will be geared toward helping New Orleanians back on their feet, by taking care of whatever their essential needs may be. City officials said the possibilities include temporary housing assistance, helping small businesses acquire start-up inventory and paying to bring in experts in the fields or urban planning and economic development. The administration has decided to name the non-profit America’s New Orleans Fund Inc.
How To Give: “Once the non-profit is authorized by the Secretary of State’s office, contributions will be accepted at any Chase branch or a post office box the city will designate.”
