View into the 9th Ward from the levee break

This is a view of the 9th Ward in New Orleans, about 300 feet from the levee break on the Industrial Canal.

Purpose of this Blog

This blog is hybrid of a photographic record of the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, an analysis of the events leading to the Katrina tragedy, and an inquiry into the appropriate response to Hurricane Katrina. I hope to put Hurricane Katrina into the larger context of emergency response, as well as the necessary adaptations to global warming.

My professional work at the LSU Law Center and my hobby of photography overlap in my study of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. I shoot 4x5 black and white film using a view camera. This image was taken on the Mississippi River delta about 40 miles south of New Orleans. The river is just on the other side of the road. This house was picked up by the storm surge and lodged in the tree, which stopped it from being swept to the top of the river levee. The street sign reads Ruth Lane, and the house belonged to Ruth.