THE LOWER NINTH WARD: roots run deep here

This was ground zero, one of the hardest hit places in all of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Entire blocks were leveled, businesses in shambles, essential services gone, the loss of life overwhelming. In terms of property damage, the United Nations declared it one of the world's worst natural disasters in terms of property damage.

Bordered by the Industrial Canal to the west, Bayou Bienvenue on the north, the St. Bernard parish line to the east and the Mississippi River to the south, the Lower Ninth Ward is only about two miles from the French Quarter. Yet it is a world away with its open spaces and close-knit neighborhoods – and one of the poorest parts of the city. There’s an intense spirit here, a sense of pride and independence and an uncompromising belief in community.

It’s been thirty months since the deadly storm and very few people are back. The force of the water was so great that even the highest portions of the Lower 9 in Holy Cross were flooded. For residents, their return has been slow and painful: fighting the city, FEMA and insurance companies, theft, a shortage of contractors, the daunting cost to rebuild.

More than ever, today the Lower 9 is about courage, about resilience, about survival in the face of incredible odds. Like few other places you’ll find, there’s a respect for the past here, combined with hope for the future and the vision of a strong, sustainable community that endures.

Welcome to the Nine. You’ll never be the same.