I knew that Hurricane Katrina overflowed through the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MR-GO) - a commercial channel dug by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 60s - and flooded most of the town, with waters as high as 14 to 15 feet  in some places. But I did not know that as a result, Chalmette was entirely destroyed. A majority of the population evacuated shortly before the storm hit, but I learned there was still significant loss of life.
As of October 2005, most of the buildings were deemed unsaveable. There was also many oil spills causing environmental problems.  As we drove through we saw the condemned homes.  It was a constant reminder that something horrific occurred six years earlier.

 But is was also great to see that some people have started to rebuild.

We also saw a community of new prefabricated homes. I later researched that they were glidehouses that are eco friendly. We noticed right away the large solar arrays on their roofs.  Utilities are above ground so power outages are frequent with bad storms.  Solar will help minimize the inconvenience.

 
The Hurricane and the long rebuild is a great reason to visit New Orleans to help build their economy and their quest for normalcy.  If you can donate your time or your vacation dollars I am sure NO will be appreciative.