Saturday, September 03, 2005

The Fate of New Orleans Landmarks

I'm sure most of you have been watching the news for days as I have. It's just a horrible situation, and my heart goes out to all those in the Gulf Coast area.

I love New Orleans - it's culture, history and architecture. It's mystery, and the setting it's become for so many wonderful novels and stories. While watching the news, I've wondered how some of NOLA's famous landmarks (especially the literary landmarks/settings) have fared through all this turmoil, and this is what I've heard from news reports on TV and online:

The French Quarter (including Bourbon Street,Pat O'Brien's, Jean Laffite's Blacksmith Shop, Cafe du Monde): These places have escaped flooding and are still standing.

The Garden District (including Anne Rice's former home on Prytania and setting for the Witching Hour and Vampire books): Several trees are down or splintered by high winds in the district. Some structural damage to properties, again because of high winds.

St. Louis Cathedral: Still standing.

If any more info becomes available, I'll post it here on my blog.


Anonymous said...

Goodmorning Kel,
I saw on CNN they have begun pumping in New Orleans, I hope They are able to save most of the old parts of the city, some of the buildings caught on fire not sure which ones though. I still can't wait to go there. :)


Anonymous said...

Yes, it's looking more and more as though historic New Orleans fared relatively well -- certainly better than other, newer portions of the city. I heard from friends of friends who live in an older home in The Point (across from the French Quarter, I believe) that much of the damage in that area was caused by looting, and not the hurricane or the flood waters.

It's still going to be some time, though, before the city will be anything like what it used to be, I think.

My father's cousin and her granddaughter live in Pascagoula, MS -- their house was obliterated by a 28' wall of water (luckily, they had left already and are fine). They are both staying at my dad's Lake House north of Houston until they can figure out what they're going to do.

And I'm worried about MY move? At least I get the choice of taking what I want with me -- they had to leave everything behind. But they're grateful to be alive and with family.


Jill Monroe said...

Hey Kelly - thanks for posting this update. I've been following all the information about people leaving, etc., but was under the impression the whole of the city was underwater and destroyed (from the news). This makes what seemed so bleak a little less so.

K. said...

Hi Jill Monroe! :) (Everyone, Jill is a published author, and the Queen of Photoshop! You guys have to check out the 'Charlie's Angels' pic she did with Gena Showalter and PC Cast - it's on Gena's blog, I think... Too funny!)

It's looks as though the French Quarter is going to come through all right. My film/TV partner, Tiffany, is from NOLA. They lost the house that's been in their family for 300 hundred years. Her entire family lives in or around the city. She's heard from a lot of them, but there are also some she cannot get in touch with. I can't even imagine what it would be like to go through this on a personal level. I'm just hoping she hears some good news soon.

Trish Milburn said...

Kelly, I just saw this update about museums, cultural landmarks, etc., and how they faired. My heart just broke when I read about the animals lost at the aquariums along the coast: