Check the Attic!
One interesting feature of Katrina that you can see in many of the houses we explored was that it destroyed the first floor of many homes while leaving the upper floors (comparatively) untouched.  This was a particularly dramatic example of this phenomenon.
The contents of this place were literally spilling out onto the front steps.  Note the bowling ball and large vase among the other debris.
No, you aren't tripping.  The kitchen is actually melting...
...and the bedroom is worse.  Nice tie collection.
This is the waterline, about three feet or so above the top of the stairs.
Upstairs had an unusual floorplan that makes me think this was almost more of an attic.  Also, that's how the owner treated the place.

Now, the obvious thought here was that maybe (s)he drug all this stuff upstairs to save it from the flood.  In reality, there was very little time to do any such thing.  It wasn't until practically the last minute that warnings were revised from "sit tight" to "get the hell out of town."  In other words, no one had the days required to drag all their belongings up the stairs.
More stuff.  Note the water line.  The stuff on top the desk (and on the piles) was likely untouched by the water.
The rods and reels may very well have come in handy for those stranded in the area, considering it took more than a month to pump out all the water.
This is a Jax beer sign is a real collector's item.  For those who don't know, this was a local beer company that ran between 1890 and 1974.  Jax Brewery is still in the French Quarter, although now it's a tourist mall (i.e., gift shops and restaurants).  (Mike) Nichols and (Elaine) May used to do commercials for them in the early '60s that my parents still recall and laugh about.
Most of these clothes were high enough that they survived, although they are completely out of style after all this time.
Back on the first floor.  Wow.
The fan looks like it's had better days.
Alexplored 12/26/06, sixteen months after Hurricane Katrina.
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