Just read an article gives me hope that maybe our home is salvageable.
Figures liberally quoted in the national press would suggest that much of the city will have to be rebuilt. This is not the case. Having worked as an architect in New Orleans for over 30 years, I know that the vast majority of the now submerged buildings will be useable after the water is drained and should be cleaned, not destroyed. They will bend but not break – like the displaced citizenry.
From Architect’s thoughts on rebuilding New Orleans by Errol Barron
I’ve been operating under the assumption that our house is probably a complete loss. Ah, the uncertainty.
I dunno how old your house is or how it’s built, but you would probably be able to salvage a lot of the house. You’ll have to dry it out and spray down everything with bleach, and that shag carpet in the basement might have to go in the dumpster, but you’d be surprised at how well a house does underwater.
We had high hopes our place would be ok. Then the other night our neighbor phoned us to inform us all our apartments had been broken into and burglarised. The rats and roaches have taken over the building as well so what the thieves and the hurricane didn’t get, the bugs and the vermin did.
We lost most everything but some keepsakes, clothes etc.
We’re rebuilding our lives here in Iowa for now, and I will return to New Orleans someday.
I hope all goes well for you and yours and that you are able to rebuild and get back on your feet well from this.