Another look at the Gulf Coast
Jack Keough, Editor/Associate Publisher -- Industrial Distribution, 9/1/2006
It seems hard to believe that a year has passed since Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
The extent of the damage is staggering. Thousands were killed or are missing, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that 125,000 businesses suffered damage from the storm, making it one of the worst natural disasters in our nation's history. Many of those businesses are still unable to open today because of a lack of workers who cannot find housing in New Orleans.
Hundreds of thousands of homeowners were displaced by the storm, and the Crescent City today has only a portion of the population that lived there 13 months ago.
Lee Eagan, chairman and CEO of the Oliver H. Van Horn Co., a well-known distributor in New Orleans, drew attention to the plight of the city and the Gulf Coast with a direct, down-to-earth speech at the Industrial Supply Assn.'s annual convention in May. Eagan detailed where the rebuilding efforts stood, the impact of the devastation on his home city, and how people can help. It was a dramatic speech, and Eagan received a standing ovation. His speech has been widely quoted in the news media and his remarks drew many to act. Just a few weeks ago, a distributor in Wisconsin who heard Eagan's comments, donated $10,000 to help Oliver Van Horn Co.'s employees.
We wanted to see for ourselves just what was happening in New Orleans. In July, Victoria Fraza Kickham, ID's managing editor, visited New Orleans and interviewed Eagan, Richard Cahn and Don Duggan of Dixie Mill, Dimitry Morvant of General Mill Supplies, and two managers with W.W. Grainger (p. 32). She was surprised by what she saw.
“I expected to see much more progress than I did,” said Kickham, who has been covering distribution for ID for 10 years. “It was almost like two cities. The tourist areas such as the French Quarter had virtually no damage, while there was debris as far as the eye could see in other sections. The destruction was incredible. There's so much work that needs to be done.”
Kickham, Associate Editor Joe Nowlan and I put together this special report. We hope you find it informative and we look forward to hearing your reactions. Click here to view our full report on the Gulf Coast.
Below are a few Hurricane Katrina and Rita related links:
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