marion deming
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8/4/2019 Marion Deming
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September 22, 2011
Nicole Hobson-Morris
Executive Director
Louisiana State Office of Historic Preservation1051 North Third Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Dear Ms. Hobson-Morris,
I am writing in support of the Levees.org nomination for two sites (one on the Industrial Canal and one on
the 17th
Street canal) as historic sites to recognize and commemorate the tragic events of August 29, 2005.
I am not a native New Orleanian. I came to the city in 1993. Only a few days later, armed with an ancient
cell phone and folding city map, I began my career as a home visiting nurse. For the next ten years as a
visiting nurse, I began to learn a bit about the fascinating cultures of the city and much about its
topography. My job led me down highways, main streets, and back roads, across bridges and ferries. Ilearned how the water and the canals have shaped the citys neighborhoods and cultures. On August 29,from the safety of my sisters home in Memphis, I watched in dismay as floodwalls and levees failed and
the flooding of the city proceeded like a surrealistic nightmare. Unlike many of my friends--who were for
the most part born and raised here, but rarely had cause to travel outside the familiar confines of their own
neighborhoods--I knew well almost all of the areas affected by the floods. I knew immediately what the
breach of the Industrial Canal would mean for the residents of the lower 9th
Ward. I understood the impact
of the 17th
Street Canal floodwall collapse. I watched and remembered with great affection all the many
people I had met over the years in those neighborhoods adjacent to the canals. Despite having the capacity
to imagine a map of New Orleans in my mind and understand the potential impact of the floods, nothing
prepared me for the reality of the devastation I witnessed upon return to the city.
In the time since 2005, I have taken innumerable friends, visitors, and family members to see whathappened, where it happened, and to watch the often painfully slow rebuilding process. After six long
years, things are looking better. Even some of the most devastated areas are showing signs of progress.
Despite--or perhaps because of--the progress that is being made, it is so very important to commemorate
the places where these tragic events occurred. Future generations should be able to travel to a spot and
know thatHEREis a place where the unthinkable happened, where entire families were lost, where
vibrant communities and thriving cultures were nearly wiped off the map, and where the long and arduous
recovery process began.
I urge you to add these two sites to the National Historic Register so that we can all come to a place of
remembrance and hope and know that all those people, neighborhoods, and cultures are not lost and will
never be forgotten.
With kindest regards,
Marion Deming
3951 Camp Street
New Orleans 70115