Neighbourhoods reopen as residents brave disease risk in New Orleans

SOME of New Orleans’ most popular neighbourhoods officially reopened to residents yesterday, a move that could bring back about a third of the city’s half a million inhabitants.

The newly-reopened areas, including the French Quarter and Garden District, all escaped major flooding when the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina a month ago, before receiving a second blow from Hurricane Rita last week.

“This is my home. I will never leave New Orleans,” said Virginia Darmstadter, 75, who has lived in the Garden District since 1984.

Mayor Ray Nagin has pushed aggressively to reopen the city despite concerns raised by state and federal officials.

Serious health hazards remain because of bacteria-laden floodwaters, a lack of drinkable water and a sewage system that does not work, said Stephen Johnson, chief of the Environmental Protection Agency.

“There are a whole lot of factors that need to be weighing on the mayor’s mind,” Mr Johnson said.

Along Prytania Street, people cleared tree limbs from their yards as repair crews worked on power lines. Taylor Livingston, 40, was using a leaf-blower, hoping to create a lived-in look at three homes he is guarding against looters.

“I don’t know how it’s going to come together,” he said. “I don’t know if there’s ever been a big city evacuated the way we were evacuated. It’s all new. I don’t know that we can come back that quick.”

Business owners began showing up on Thursday, some saying they were pulling out and others vowing to rebuild. “We are lucky. I was expecting much worse than this,” said Germame Kassa, whose Ethiopian grocery and deli was relatively unscathed, although the stink of rotting food wafted through the locked doors.

State officials say at least 140,000 homes and businesses across south-eastern Louisiana were so badly damaged that they must be torn down. The storms also left 22 million tons of debris, including 350,000 cars and trucks, said Mike McDaniel, chief of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

“Just as the nation knew that we had to create economic greatness in New York City after 9-11, the nation and the world needs south Louisiana,” governor Kathleen Blanco said.

The police department, meanwhile, said it was investigating a dozen officers accused of looting during the lawlessness that engulfed the city after Katrina.

“The investigation does in fact show police officers with some items,” acting Police Superintendent Warren Riley said. He said four of the 12 officers have already been suspended for failing to stop looting.