Lingering disasters

In the wake of more recent calamities such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, it is easy to overlook the aftermath of older disasters such as Katrina and to think that the problems it caused have been mostly resolved. However, anyone who has visited New Orleans knows this is not the case. Yesterday, we visited the Civil District Court (in this county or "parish" the District Court is bifurcated into criminal and civil branches) and watched an emergency interim custody hearing. How can a family law issue several years later be related to Katrina? you might ask. Well, the mother and father of this child used to live in New Orleans, and after being evacuated from the city now reside several states apart.

The pain and suffering from the shock of the actual hurricane was substantial, but only incidental in relation to the long-lasting impact on the emotional, financial, and physical well-being of people returning to a city now devoid of social services, infrastructure, and adequate housing with unbearable spores and mold spralling unchecked for months. Some of the wealthiest and most able persons and agencies have done very little to improve the quality of life for the average person in New Orleans. Perhaps most tragically, social ties have eroded as many did not return to New Orleans and families have been torn apart.