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Much of the press coverage of New Orleans cites statistics that apply
only to Orleans Parish. While technically correct since the
incorporated municipality of New Orleans and the Parish of Orleans are
coextensive since 1870, it is highly misleading. Using Orleans
only statistics is easy and dramatic. It also
totally misses the more relevant story about the
lack of regional cooperation and the waste from duplicating services by
numerous authorities.
The metro area contained 1.3 million people before the storm. About a third were in
Orleans, a third are in east Jefferson and the rest are scattered
across the Westbank, Northshore, Chalmette and a few outlying areas.
Saying that only 125,000 of the 485,000 residents of New
Orleans are back is misleading. 1,000,000 of
the 1.3 million are back.
To say 80% of New
Orleans flooded is also misleading. 80% of Orleans, St Bernard and Plaquemines
east bank flooded. About a third of Metairie and Kenner flooded when
the pumps were turned off. Slidell took water in some places, most of
the northshore stayed dry. The westbank was dry except for isolated
trouble spots. Overall less than half of the New Orleans Metro area
flooded. The traditional high ground all remained dry and lots of low areas also remained dry because their levee protection held.
You
have to consider Jefferson and St Bernard as integral parts of the
city. You should consider much of Plaquemines population particularly
Belle Chasse as part of New Orleans. St. Charles Parish (Ormond) is
now a suburb. St Tammany is across the lake but through the efficacy of
the Causeway and I-10 Twin spans its two big population concentrations
around the bridge entrances are literally suburban extensions of
the city. Even St. John Parish (Laplace) considers itself a New Orleans suburb.The federal
government included most of this area in the New Orleans metropolitan
statistical area in the 2000 census.
Someday parts of Lafourche
(Thibodeaux and Houma) may be considered parts of New Orleans.
Throughout this site I try to establish the proper context. Amazingly
the news outlets don't. I'd like to know why. Does it improves
sales to mislead?
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