Interesting news in today’s Washington Post in the form of this poll of people evacuated from New Orleans
Fewer than half of all New Orleans evacuees living in emergency shelters here said they will move back home, while two-thirds of those who want to relocate planned to settle permanently in the Houston area, according to a survey by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health
Forty-three percent of these evacuees planned to return to New Orleans, the survey found. But just as many — 44 percent — said they will settle somewhere else, while the remainder were unsure. Many of those who were planning to return said they will be looking to buy or rent somewhere other than where they lived. Overall, only one in four said they plan to move back into their old homes, the poll found.
On many levels, President Bush’s vow in his speech last night that New Orleans would be rebuilt better than ever was inspiring. However, I don’t think it will come to pass if the people that lived there aren’t going to come back. What is more likely to happen is that the tourist and historic areas — such as the French Quarter and Jackson Square — will become the center of a smaller city that will be a shadow of its former self in many ways. Interestingly, though, New Orleans may actually end up being better off because of it. Only time will tell.
Technorati Tag: Hurricane Katrina
