Convective sigmets over the entire city and surrounds, cumulonimbus clouds, 80% rain, thunderstorms and funnel-clouds were forecast for the day so once again 8071X, myself and Daire were grounded. As both of us really enjoyed the swamp tour we decided another tour would was on the cards. We were recommended the VIP City Tour and while the tour bus is outside waiting for us Daire is frantically looking for the credit card which thankfully was only missing temporarily. I am now minding the card full-time.
The tour encompassed the worst affected areas hit by hurrican Katrina 4 years ago, the Garden district (more expensive areas), french quarter, Bourbon Street famous for all the jazz and finally we ended up in a cemetary with funeral in progress.
The wall below shows the part of the levee which failed and caused the area in the background to be flooded. After heavy rains the last few days the waters are rising again, the tour guide expained she hadnt seen the water that high on the wall since Katrina.
Houses in the New Orleans flood areas will only be covered for flood insurance from now onwards if their houses are reconstructed on stilts above ground level. Not all people can obviously afford this so their houses are either not insured or even repaired from four years ago.
The highest blue pole displays the highest recorded level of the waters and the red a typical height of house. In many cases the flood waters completely covered the surrounding houses.
The final part of the tour, the cemetary, people are buried above ground in New Orleans due to the numerous floods that occur here as the flood waters cause the coffins to re-appear!!
After the tour we searched the streets for a vegetable dinner but to no avail so another salad for me and more oysters for Daire. Planning another 6am start tomorrow morn fingers crossed for good VFR weather, feels like we are back in Ireland with all the rain!
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