I recently received a piece of mail bearing return addresses from both the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. Having never received mail from either of these entities, I was beyond intrigued as to what the inside held. Could it be word of an elevated terror alert, orange perhaps, or a call to action to better our preparation against natural disasters? I opened the envelope and pulled out a letter, which stated in part, "If everything were ruined in a flood tomorrow, could you afford to replace it all?" The letter, it soon became clear, was an attempt to sell me flood insurance.
Having entered New Orleans in the fall of 2007 via train along uninhabited residential streets, I was sombered by the lasting effects of Hurricane Katrina and the flood, and the massive restoration needed. The old wood houses still bore the spray-painted Xs indicating which private agency had been through and when, and how many survivors, or more often, bodies, had been found, as well as toxicity levels. Though much had been cleared out already, it still appeared empty and almost forgotten. Yet it was not forgotten by the residents who tired of waiting and got up to do something about it, and the many agencies and foundations set up in Katrina’s wake, such as Habitat for Humanity’s Operation Home Delivery (www.habitat.org), Common Ground Relief (www.commongroundrelief.org), Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation (www.makeitrightnola.org), and countless others.
One local, developer and hotelier Sean Cummings—whose 1840s house in the French Quarter underwent a revitalization of its own (above and on page 50)—has big plans for renewal along the riverfront (www.neworiverfront.com); plans that come with the expected back-and-forth between slow-growthers who fear a loss of the city’s vibe to gentrification, and those who applaud him for attempting to break down the barbed-wire fences and implement greenways for residents to enjoy on the waterfront.
"This extraordinary city we call home began right here on the Mississippi River," Cummings has said, "and to it, we’ve returned." He, like so many of his Crescent City neighbors, chose to stay in the face of overwhelming chaos and move forward despite so many obstacles. I would like to dedicate this issue, which focuses on renewing our homes, to the people of New Orleans, who are still in the process of rebuilding their dreams. And next time you assess your own home repairs, you might also want to take a hint from FEMA and have a good look at your insurance policy.
Editor’s note: The image of Gotham Dream Cars Garage on pages 50–51 of The Robb Report Collection’s March 2009 issue should have been credited to Daniel Coyle Photography.
