Case 13
Tucked into a deep depression between two canals, railroad tracks and the Mississippi River, lays the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. Historically, it was one of the last regions of the city to be occupied because of its poor drainage system and its position on what was originally a cypress swamp. Those who settled here were mainly poor African–Americans and immigrant laborers with no other place to go. According to the 2000 US census, the Lower Ninth Ward has a poverty level of 36.4 percent. A quarter of households have an annual income of less than $10,000, while half live on less than $20,000.
Hurricane Katrina came ashore near New Orleans on Sunday, 28 August. The next day, Monday, a levee on the 17th Street Canal ruptured, flooding much of the City. Water continued to rise throughout Tuesday and showed no signs of stopping. Late on Tuesday a second levee on the Industrial Canal bordering the Lower Ninth Ward burst, increasing the flow of water into the City. Water as high as 20 feet inundated the Lower Ninth Ward and hundreds of people were rescued from their rooftops. Many others, however, were left stranded for several days.
In spite of an enormous traffic backlog, most residents with transportation were able to get out before the storm hit. A large population of low–income residents did not own cars, though, and were left stranded when the untested emergency public transportation system failed. After the flooding, the slow response of government agencies to provide basic necessities and public order left those remaining in the city to fend for themselves. In the ensuing days, law enforcement officials, concentrating on rescue efforts, looked on as widespread looting took hold in the City.
Looters helped themselves to bottled water, perishable and non–perishable foodstuffs and medications from food stores and pharmacies in the City. Additionally, there were widespread reports of looters leaving commercial areas with other items such as beer, television sets and firearms. In the end, no store or commodity in the flood zone seemed spared.
Answering questions from reporters, residents with armfuls of products justified their actions in many ways. Some insisted, "we've only took what we had to have," while others claimed that they were taking back what others once took from them. One man, brandishing a brand new shotgun said he was scared. "There is no longer order. I have to protect my family from armed gangs that would even take the little food and water we have left."
A local television camera caught a middle–aged woman taking in the scene, not sure whether to join in the looting at a sporting goods store. "My mother taught me to be better than that, but this parade of looters makes me feel more and more like a real sucker."