Katrina Recovery For ALL Areas: How Long Will It Take?

[MiamiensisWx]

How long will it take for ALL areas hit by Katrina to recover COMPLETELY? I say 30 or more decades. However, for all impacted by Katrina, it will surely be in sad memories forever (I'm feeling it, too).

Sorry if this poll upsets many... you have my sympathy...

[MGC]

30 decades....300 years? I think you have your numbers off a little.....MGC

[Audrey2Katrina]

Yeah, a lot of Loooooong timespans up there; however I still went with the last choice simply because SOME areas will in fact, NEVER, fully recover.

On the overall... I see a fairly "normal" return to "most" areas within about 10-20 years.

It was one helluva storm-afterath!

A2K

[southerngale]

50 years to 300 years?

Well, I think that's a tough question anyway. Like A2K said, some areas will never fully recover. With Rita, there are places here that will never be open again, businesses moved, etc. Thousands of people haven't returned. Just the landscape has forever changed.

I don't know...just a hard question for me to answer. It will never return to pre-Katrina times, nor will here return to pre-Rita times. But definitely things will get better...you just adjust to a new normal.

[Ixolib]

Recovery is a relative process, I suppose. In many cases, things will never be the "same". In other cases, things will quickly return to "normal". But thinking in terms of "decades" cannot really be applied to the concept of recovery because "things" would have changed significantly in the time span of 50 to 300 years anyway.

That said, it took many years - about 30 to be more precise - for the MS Coast to rebound from the impact of Camille - and that was mainly in economics. Pre-casino here on the coast, there were many vacant lots on Hwy 90 that had remained vacant ever since August 17, 1969. However, in today's world, I don't expect that to be the case. I believe the "rebounding" will be much quicker than it was with Camille simply because the concept of investing in this area now makes more sense than it did before the casinos came to town. And even if we get hit with another major next season or in subsequent ones, re-investment will still take place because the casinos know they can continue to reap their extreme revenues.

Bottom line is that I don't believe there will ever come a time when the headlines say "Gulf Coast Now Fully Recovered From Katrina". It will simply become a trend of building and rebuilding that will eventually redefine what this area is about. And that definition could be far away from what it was before August 29, 2005.

Plus - I would imagine it's quite probable that another major - and perhaps one with even more significant impacts than Katrina - will directly impact this area within the next 50 to 300 years (or much sooner!!!), at which time the game will start over, and over, and over, and well, you get it.....

[Steve]

lol. I voted "all areas will never recover." It's psycho poll voting day for me!

(Really, a decade or two for the areas that will be rehabbed is probably the limit)

[dhweather]

I think that areas that "will" recover are going to do so in the next 10-20 years.
If an area hasn't recovered after 20 years, then I doubt it will.

[O Town]

I agree those numbers are all too high. I am thinking 1-3 decades. 10-30 years, and I am sure it will never be the same. 500 years is just insane, our country isn't even that old. We celebrate our 230th birthday this July 4th.

[jax]

i just about have my rental property fixed up...
so i say 1 year...

[Audrey2Katrina]

LOL Would be nice if "ALL" areas would be like your rental property...but since there are areas still recovering from Ivan and Charley, I rather doubt it'll be that all will be up and running "as normal" from Katrina for a VERY long time.

A2K

[Scorpion]

Wow those timespans are way too long. Its only been 3 months since Wilma and everything is back to where it was before here.

[MiamiensisWx]

Katrina was different, Scorpion. Also, the damage after Wilma in southern Florida was huge... it was just easier to clean up faster.

[Zach]

I think it depends on how you define "recover". After such a devastating blow from Katrina, many may never fully recover emotionally, although hopefully time will dull some wounds.

However, I do expect to see some measure of recovery from the rebuilding process within the next 10 to 20 years. As far as rebuilding goes, I think it will depend mainly on political and economic considerations. For example, the casino owners and the gov't of Mississippi seem to have decided to do what it takes to get the gaming industry up and running quickly. Not being a resident of the storm damaged areas, I can only make general observations from what I've seen during quick detours off I-10 into Waveland and Bay St. Louis.

[MiamiensisWx]

Good points, Zach. However, I voted for 30 decades or longer based on the nasty way things are going. On top of that, many really may never totally recover emotionally, either.

[Jim Cantore]

although they may rebuild they will never get rid of the scars left behind

[jhamps10]

Well Conidering from this here that one of our local news ancors in St. Louis saw a couple of weeks ago, I don't think that all areas will recover, espically most of New Orleans. I am including a link to his web blog about the trip which has several links to some photo galleries from his journey to N.O.

WARNING!!!! Some of these pictures are not for the weak of heart and most emotional folks, very sad pictures indeed.

http://ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=91850

[Hybridstorm_November2001]

20 years at least sadly

[tornadochaser1986]

i think thats a good estimate theres still areas that havent been rebuilt that were destroyed by Ivan