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12 UDC/DCSL L. Rev. 3 (2009)
Returning to New Orleans: Reflections on the Post-Katrina Recovery, Disaster Relief, and the Struggle for Social Justice

handle is hein.journals/udclr12 and id is 5 raw text is: University of the District of Columbia Law Review Volume 12 Spring 2009 Number 1 RETURNING TO NEW ORLEANS: REFLECTIONS ON THE POST-KATRINA RECOVERY, DISASTER RELIEF, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE Susan L. Waysdorf* INTRODUCTION From New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish, and Plaquemines Parish, to Slidell, Louisiana and all along the Gulf Coast to Biloxi, Mississippi, I have seen things that I never thought I would see in America: streets emptied of residents; block after block with only twisted shells of former schools, fire stations and stores; and the ruins and rubble of thousands of homes. Like millions of Americans, I watched in horror while the events of August 29, 2005 unfolded, when Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans and the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 Hurri- cane.1 Within one day, massive storm surges broke through the levee system sur- * Professor of Law, University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law; B.A., University of Chicago; J.D., University of Maryland Law School. Professor Waysdorf took a sabbatical leave from teaching in the Spring 2008 Semester to volunteer at the Pro Bono Project, a New Orleans non-profit that provides legal assistance to Katrina survivors. She extended this leave through the Fall 2008 Semester in order to continue this volunteer service. The author dedicates this Essay to all those who lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina. She gives thanks to all those in New Orleans who graciously shared their stories of survival, some of which she describes in this Essay. The author based portions of these narratives on the journal which she wrote about her experiences while volunteering in post-Katrina New Orleans. Professor Waysdorf extends her appreciation to Rachel Piercey, Director of the Pro Bono Project, and her dedicated staff for providing her with this invalua- ble extended volunteer opportunity. She also thanks her colleagues at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law clinical program for their fellowship, and particularly Professor Luz Molina, for her wisdom and inspiration. Finally, the author is, as always, thankful to her partner, Mary K. O'Melveny, for her support and encouragement. The writing of this Essay was supported in part by a grant from the David A. Clarke School of Law. Professor Waysdorf delivered a version of this Essay at the February 29, 2008 UDC/DCSL Law Review Symposium, Katrina's Wake: Emergency Prepared- ness and Response from the Bayou to the Beltway. The author framed many of the policy positions contained in this Essay while serving as a member of the Barack Obama Campaign's Urban and Metropolitan Policy Committee from January 2008 to November 4, 2008. 1 Willie Drye, Hurricane Katrina Smashes Gulf Coast, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHic NEWS, Aug. 29, 2005, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/080829 050829_katrina.html; see also THE

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