A little bit weird, a little bit political with a lot of humor.
What will be the long term demographic effect of Katrina be?
Published on September 7, 2005 By historyishere In Current Events
I first began thinking about this when I started hearing about relatively large numbers of former residents of New Orleans being transported to places like Denver and Kansas City after the Astrodome was deemed full but it didn't fully hit me until last night. It seems to me there may end up being a long term demographic shift as the ripple effects of this disaster unfolds.

Here's my thought: thousands of people facing the prospect of months or perhaps even years away from the town they called home, months without their original job in a strange town, some if not most will probably start to question the very viability of returning to New Orleans when the time is right. Also given the fact that the New Orleans school system has cancelled classes for this entire school year, affecting 135,000 children(if I remember the statistic correctly) parents might be inclined to stay where they are with their children until the end of the school year.

Of course, if they are planning on staying in an area for a bit longer, then they might start setting up roots in their new town by getting a job and new place to live after a relatively short time(or after they receive compensation from an insurance company), and develop new friendships and relationships in these communities, and these kinds of attachments might make it that much harder to leave when the time comes. Still others may not want to return to the Big Easy because of what has happened to them. The fear that something like this could happen to them again might make them reconsider returning to their old neighborhood and look elsewhere for a safer place to live. I have heard some of the survivors claim they did not want to return for this very reason.

I don't know if there are any guidelines about how those who escaped New Orleans can conduct themselves in their new "temporary" homes, so some of my assumptions may be wrong, though I did hear rumors that placement agencies have set up shop at some of the shelters. It is also not my expectation that everyone who fled New Orleans is going to stay where they have ended up, however, it does seem likely that more than a few of the thousands evacuated will choose to make a new home in the cities and towns that were so kind as to take them in during their time of need.

Granted, even if the number of people who don’t return to New Orleans after the all clear is given is, say, 100 thousand or more(which may be unlikely), the way these people have been spread throughout towns and cities in the Southeast and into other regions, there may be quite a few places where the change is virtually negligible, but perhaps cities like Houston will have a long-term population increase in years to come. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Comments
on Sep 07, 2005
Perhaps it will come back better and stronger.  Maybe some of them will not come back, but New Orleans is not a dead and dying city.  it is a working city.  Others will come.
on Sep 07, 2005
I am not denying that others will come, because even after this, New Orleans will probably possess some of its old allure.
on Sep 07, 2005
And in that, it may come back a lot better.  The riff raff will be gone, and the people willing to work will be there.  If it had no reason to exist (like this one), it may not.  But it does, so it will.
on Sep 07, 2005
I just think about how many cities have been destroyed and rebuilt in the past century... especially after the Second World War.... and how vibrant those cities now are. That being said, there were definite shifts in where people ended up living in most of these cases as well.
on Sep 07, 2005
I've stated this before:

Those that have - rebuild
Those that have not - were already bused out, or died
Those who have - buy up what's left and rebuild

In essence, the city will change significantly. Right now, they are forcibly removing the remaining residents. I understand their reluctance. I'm sure that most of them will not have the means to return, and they sure as shit aren't getting any guarantees from the government that they will have something to come back to.

On top of that, it's no secret that New Orleans is located on top of a huge oil and gas reserve. I'm sure that is why Halliburton was so interested in getting the no-bid contract to "rebuild". I think I know where duh-bya's dick has been all week. Call me a conspirist (that a word?), but I'll bet that he lied his ass off to Congress about divesting himself of any interest in Halliburton when he became veep. I think there is yet another scandal brewing at the White Wash, I mean House.
on Sep 08, 2005
According to CNN, of the 27,000 people who were in the 4 shelters in Houston last week, only 8,096 remain... the rest supposedly have found other homes and jobs.
on Sep 08, 2005

According to CNN, of the 27,000 people who were in the 4 shelters in Houston last week, only 8,096 remain... the rest supposedly have found other homes and jobs.

As I said, Many wont.  But since New Orleans was a working town, and not really a resort town (altho it could throw a party!), the jobs will come back and so will the people.  Maybe not the same people, but the jobs will draw them.

on Sep 08, 2005
But since New Orleans was a working town


Especially in the Chemical and petrochemical industries, so yes there are jobs there.