Forced to Become Pirates

In yet another example of the extent of the damage sustained by New Orleans and of the painfully slow recovery, nine months after the storm and average New Orleanians are forced to take it upon themselves to try and avert an environmental disaster happening in the many wasted marinas on Lake Pontchartrain.

With zero assistance from FEMA, the Army Corps and insurance companies, hundreds of sailboats and powerboats still lie foundered throughout the waters of the marinas - their bellies full of diesel, oil and who knows what other chemicals - these citizens have grouped together to try and clear the channels of these foundered boats on their own.

Using borrowed truck inner tubes, inflatable racing marks and pure gumption these recreational boaters are fighting to take control of their own recovery.

The organizer of this rag tag group who wishes to remain anonymous states, "If we waited for politicians, the harbor master, or the city or the Feds to clean up... well that's what you have right now, nothing. Just a bunch of devastated boats and houses."

It probably won't be long before we have average New Orleanians out there digging up still flooded gas lines, replacing water mains, building levees and forming bucket brigades to stop any future street flooding.

C'est la vie.

Although there is no direct method of helping this group financially, you can help out the environmental group, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, with tax deductible donations.

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Tags: New Orleans,FEMA,Hurricanes,Hurricane Katrina,Katrina,News,environment,Louisiana,Lake Pontchartrain,marinas,boating,pirates