New Orleans after Katrina

Many car dealerships were totally destroyed after being underwater for weeks. The two oddest sights after the storm to me were the thousands of flooded, destroyed cars parked under the freeway overpasses waiting to be towed away by the insurance companies, and the hundreds of brand new cars speeding through the deserted streets. The stoplights weren't working yet; no one heeded stop signs, and you took your life in your hands just to drive around. It was like the Wild West.

Many residents put up signs like this, hoping to prevent the widespread looting that went on in the immediate aftermath of the storm

Martin Luther King Library off of North Claiborne in New Orleans--it was underwater for weeks and I took this image six months later. The man in my photo came back the next day with some friends to start cleaning it up, and was arrested for trespassing.

The same guy in the previous photo bought this house from the owner for a few hundred dollars and gave it to a homeless family, who fixed it up and lived in it. Even though we were behind National Guard lines, before the residents were allowed back in, we found quite a few people living in their destroyed homes because they had nowhere else to go. Protected only by the packs of wild dogs roaming the deserted neighborhoods, they toughed it out, cooking with camping stoves and living without running water or electricity.

This was in Biloxi Mississippi...looting was a terrible problem everywhere. Bank vaults were even broken into with abandoned tractors.

The force of the water floated many vehicles onto roofs and into trees.

The force of the winds cracked little signs like this, and even huge billboards on the interstate that were six feet in diameter.

The saddest thing for the residents was the loss of their pets. As part of an animal rescue group, we were allowed into the neighborhoods before the residents were, but couldn't find many and could only leave food and water for the numerous dogs and cats who survived the floods, only to be left roaming through the deserted areas. We managed to capture one cat, but it got away after using its claws very effectively. After the human search was through, the SPCA was allowed in to search for animals. To read the markings, start on the left to see which agency who did the search; above that, the date searched; then dead persons found and finally, how many were rescued. The SPCA markings were more literal.

Flood waterlines on homes in St. Bernards Parish.

All that was left of a McDonalds in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Three of the more interesting sights we saw.

Most of the traffic lights were destroyed by the storm. This one was apparently still connected to electricity when it was finally turned back on.