9th WARD OVERVIEW

The Ninth Ward or 9th Ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans, Louisiana that is located in the easternmost downriver portion of the city. It is the most famous in name and geographically the largest of the 17 Wards of New Orleans.

Among the famous residents of the 9th Ward are Fats Domino, rapper Brian "Baby" Williams, rapper Lil Wayne, and Magic—"Mr. Ninth Ward". The area has also produced well known figures like NFL star Marshall Faulk, author Kalamu ya Salaam, trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, and the prominant Lastie musical family.

AFTER KATRINA

Much of the 9th Ward on both sides of the Industrial Canal again experienced catastrophic flooding in Hurricane Katrina. Much of the damage was caused by storm surge channeled into the area by the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.

The Upper Ninth was flooded by levee & floodwall failures near the Desire neighborhood, across the Industrial Canal from the junction with the MRGO. Flooding in this part of the ward joined with that of the bulk of the City's east bank to the west, with water flowing in from the London Avenue Canal breaches. The old high ground of the section of Bywater on the river side of Saint Claude Avenue was the only substantial neighborhood to escape flooding. A few areas on the very highest part of Gentilly Ridge and along the lakefront fill were also above the floodwaters.

The Lower Ninth Ward flooded most catastrophically, with storm surge coming from the east via flooded Saint Bernard Parish and from the west through two large breaches in the Industrial Canal flood protection system, creating violent currents that did not merely flood buildings, but smashed them and displaced them from their foundations. Floodwaters propelled the barge ING 4727 into the neighborhood on the other side of the levee from the Industrial Canal.

During the hurricane aftermath, live television news coverage from reporters and anchors with little familiarity with New Orleans included repeated confused misinformation over several days, including referring to the Lower 9th Ward simply as "the 9th Ward" and misidentifying helicopter shots of the Industrial Canal breech as the 17th Street Canal breech (which was actually at the nearly opposite end of the city.)

The Lower 9th Ward, not yet dry from Katrina, was re-flooded by Hurricane Rita a month later.

Roughly half a year after the hurricane, the ward comprises the vast majority of hurricane-ravaged territory still devoid of noticeable improvement or substantial rebuilding efforts. There is debate about why this is, as many argue that neighborhoods like Lakeview were just as badly damaged, yet are being given a better chance to recover from the storm by city officials and rebuilding planners.

During Mardi Gras 2006, the 9th Ward was a popular spot for visitors. The national attention the area received due to the hurricane and the events following the disaster provided Carnival revelers with an additional destination during their celebration. Visitors, however, were not the only ones to venture into the area. Locals flocked to the devastated neighborhoods of the ward, as well. Hundreds of people gathered near the Florida housing project in the Ninth Ward on Fat Tuesday. In the quasi-celebratory spirit of a jazz funeral, many residents made their first trip back to take part in a massive block party in their former neighborhood.