Tour of hurricane damaged areas?

My wife and I would like to support the local economy and satisfy our own curiosity by touring the areas that were devastated by Katrina. However, we are concerned that this may be seen as offensive by those afflicted, and are somewhat concerned about our safety. Can somebody tell me how the locals view these kind of tours, and perhaps recommend a reputable company that we could contact for reservations?

Thank you.

Tour of hurricane damaged areas?

Why concerned about your safety? There%26#39;s no reason to be. All tours occur during daytime hours and pretty much take the same ';loop'; tour of Lakeview, Gentilly and then NO East/Ninth Ward/St. Bernard. All these areas were affected greatly.

Tours by Isabelle gets many good reviews on this site and, I say from experience, they do a good job overall.

Tour of hurricane damaged areas?

I second the Tours by Isabell. Ask for Joseph.

We were in New Orleans from 9/20 to 9/24 and took the Katrina Tour with Tours by Isabelle. Our driver was Diane and she was a long-time local, very nice and knowledgeable. We felt like we needed to do the tour; to educate ourselves on the destruction and to learn how these people are still suffering with the red tape they have to go through to receive any government help. Safety was not a problem. We drove to each of the levee breaks and the areas affected. It was hard to imagine, but the destruction was much worse than what we saw on TV. The flooded area was huge and homes from mansions to shanties were destroyed. You will be glad you took the tour. I didn%26#39;t get a sense that anyone that we saw in the neighborhoods were upset with us driving by. Some people even waved at us.

Sherry

You will have no problems, crime or otherwise, in an organized tour. Mostly, the affected areas are just - empty. The important thing, I think, is that you get a feel for the geographic extent of the damage and its totality.

And then think about what would happen in Boston. As an NU alumni, I know that the Back Bay is build on a marsh filled in by Irish labor during the 19th century. How do you think the Back Bay and the Charles River would stand up to a storm surge from a Cat 5? Can%26#39;t happen, you say? Check out your history for hurricanes damaging NYC and RI.