One Year After Katrina, New Orleans Remains a Shadow of its Former Self
Virtually every indicator shows that New Orleans remains a shadow of its former self: employment, availability and use of electricity, schools, hospitals, stores are all at a fraction of their pre-storm strength. But intriguingly, casino revenue surpasses pre-Katrina levels.
| Pre-Katrina | September 2005 | One Year After Katrina | |
| Metropolitan Area Employment | 612,000 | 400,000 | 430,000 |
| Homes and Businesses Using Electricity | 213,000 | NA | 100,000 |
| Public School Students | 55,000 | 0 | 22,000 (est.) |
| Open Hospitals with Emergency Rooms | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| Open Restaurants and Food Stores | 3,718 | 0 | 940 |
| Casino Revenue (million dollars) | 40 | 0 | 60 |