By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Hurricane Katrina blasted through Louisiana and Mississippi nearly a year and a half ago.
Van and Tina Thornton of Niles attended the National Association of Realtors convention in November 2006 in New Orleans. Even though some neighborhoods were still in need of serious repair they both said "The Big Easy" and its people are ready and willing to once again host visitors.
"People shouldn't be discouraged from going. It's up and running and they need the financial support," Van said.
Van is a developer with The Grey Hawke Group, and Tina is a realtor with CORE Real Estate in Buchanan.
The Thorntons said they spent six days in New Orleans, drove through a few neighborhoods and talked with a lot of locals. In talking with people they said one common theme stood out.
"There is a general hostility there toward FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] and the national government," Van said. "There's a lot of bitterness there because of the lack of response."
To express their frustration, Van said many people wore t-shirts with acronyms for FEMA, "all of which we could not repeat here."
"The main thing is people don't have a place to live and they can't work if they can't live," Tina said.
Trailers dotted the landscapes, Van said, and not mobile homes but eight feet by 24 feet units suitable for camping or temporary living, not permanent residency. And, he said some of them were not even being used.
One New Orleans resident the Thornton's said they met was a man, who, along with his wife, were 35-year human resources employees with the Department of Veterans Affairs when Hurricane Katrina hit. FEMA transported the couple to Houston and even though they were employed gave them a furnished apartment complete with furniture, hanging pictures, linens, kitchen supplies and a per diem. The Thornton's also said the couple received federal allowances for clothing, food and utilities.
"This isn't poor people. This is people with viable jobs," Van said.
Seven months later when the couple returned their home was covered in mold, mildew and rot, Van said, and had to be stripped down and rebuilt. Plus, Van said the government used a 2000 tax base to calculate the worth of the home at $110,000, even though in 2005 it was worth $179,000.
Additionally, FEMA placed a trailer on their lawn in Louisiana, Van said. The man called FEMA and told them he did not need the temporary home and that it could be removed for someone else, but it wasn't until October 2006 it was taken back by the government, Van said.
"They're camping trailers," Van said. "It sat there for over a year in his front yard with no one using it."
The same man applied for money, was approved and was yet to receive anything, Van said. Plus, Van said others were missing out on insurance money because their homes were damaged by flood waters but they were not in a flood plain and therefore did not have flood insurance, only coverage for wind and rain.
People and neighborhoods of all levels of income suffered damage, Tina said. Even the Lakeview area of the city near Lake Pontchartrain, which she described as having ranch style homes ranging from $350,000 to $400,000, still had damage from seven-foot flood waters and had to be stripped down to wood studs.
"And the water marks were up to the garage doors," Tina said. "You've never seen anything like it. It's like driving through an exclusive neighborhood around here and having everything abandoned."
Tales of property owners treating New Orleans residents poorly were also common, Van said. A bellman at a hotel told the Thornton's he had to evacuate his apartment and the city when the storm hit, and when he returned his landlord had rented his place out with all his personal belongings still in it.
Not everything the locals had to talk about was bitter, the Thornton's said. In fact, they both agreed the residents were grateful to the realtors for holding the convention in the city despite the damage and images most have seen on TV.
"These people were so grateful to see us down there. We got thanked almost everywhere we went," Tina said. "Being a realtor, I'm here to tell you we don't get that that much."
Aside from attending classes at the convention, the Thornton's said they toured historic homes and spent time dining and enjoying the French Quarter, which is "100 percent open," Van said.
"The biggest issue is the people that worked there re-located. There's 'help wanted' signs in 50 percent of the store windows," he added.
Those attending the convention were also given a chance to attend speeches by former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.
"Their message was very strong about the resiliency of the people and how they're bouncing back," Van said.
There were also community service projects, such as building Habitat for Humanity homes and cleaning up parks, which Tina said filled up extremely fast with convention-goers. The Thornton's said they were unable to join a community service project but made financial contributions instead.
"It's a beautiful place and it needs to be brought back to life. And it will never be the same," she added.