The new New Orleans might be born in nine months

Independent Online Edition > Americas : app6:

"As the relief effort finally got under way yesterday for the tens of thousands of people left without food, water, medicines or the rule of law for five days, the federal official in charge of disaster recovery told foreign diplomats that reconstruction cannot begin until next summer."

This is even harder than the mayor's statement that it would be at least four months (i.e., until the end of this year) before reconstruction could begin. In one curious way this long delay may be a good thing if it gives space for serious consideration of alternatives to just making N.O. the way it was.