New Orleans Is Still Recovering 10 Years After Hurricane Katrina

New Orleans was devastated by the costliest natural disaster in history, Hurricane Katrina. That was 10 years ago, and this notoriously decadent city is still recovering from it. Even now, New Orleans is fighting an uphill battle to lure visitors and businesses back to their city.

The main industry in New Orleans has always been tourism, and some visitors are still wondering if the city has recovered. According to Fortune, the city has made significant progress towards recovery, yet many still see New Orleans as a “damaged destination.”

Many still remember the pictures of the storm-ravaged neighborhoods, flooded streets, and thousands stranded in the Superdome. However, New Orleans is working hard to persuade visitors that the city has in fact made a comeback.

The chief executive of Galatoire’s family of restaurants, Melvin Rodrigue, has seen changes since the storm.

“There’s been a great influx of investment in the community. Tourism and other sectors are growing. As a hospitality industry we are united, with a more focused vision and the growth shows it,” he said in a recent Fortune article.

Also, according to Fortune, New Orleans has changed for the better since Katrina. It is now more upscale and family friendly. However, many visitors still cling to the image of Bourbon St. as full of twenty-somethings drinking in excess. The city is making efforts to change this and is heavily promoting that New Orleans is more than just one street.

New Orleans-based investor, Hank Torbert, had this to say.

“No city should be distinguished by a single street and that’s not what New Orleans is either.”

New Orleans and Louisiana, as a whole, have also become more business friendly and, as a result, has seen tremendous growth in new business startups well above the national average. According to Forbes’ annual ranking of Best States for Business, the city ranked as number 29 in 2014. A substantial improvement since its dead last ranking in 2006. This does well to decrease the unemployment rate and increase the number of high-paying jobs in the information sector.

To help with the ongoing recovery efforts, President Obama is scheduled to meet with New Orleans’ mayor Mitch Landrieu on August 27 to discuss the area’s achievements since Katrina as well as what else still needs to be done. While in the city, the president will speak on how the community can revitalize and rebuild its infrastructure and industries by working together.

Even celebrity and part-time resident Brad Pitt is helping out. Through the efforts of his non-profit organization, he enlisted the help of engineers and architects to rebuild and modernize homes for 109 families who are still struggling.

There is still more work to be done, and New Orleans is ready to do it. Several communities throughout the region have come together to invest in rebuilding neighborhoods and businesses. Most people who once had to evacuate have returned. New Orleans is a tough city and not one to be held down. The pictures of a devastated city are a thing of the past, and New Orleans has experienced a rebirth from a storm that once tried to sink it.

[Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images]