Some Areas Still Struggling After Katrina

Becky Barbour surveys the empty lot where her home used to sit. These days she still lives in this FEMA trailer.

“Last four years have been a nightmare to me,” she says sadly. “I've been through everything a person can go through.” Becky says living here is a challenge. Despite the daily struggle, and what she says is an impending eviction, she wants to stay.

“I'm not going nowhere, I’m going to stay right here because it's mine, this is my land and that's my trailer,” says Barbour. Members of the South Bay Community Alliance say there are still many unmet needs in Bayou La Batre, chief among them is housing.

“There's not enough funding to help, there's not enough funding to help families that's lost their homes,” says Alliance President Paul Nelson. Elsewhere, some homeowners say they need their homes elevated.

“I'm in a flood zone and when it rains I can't get out my house if another storm come like Katrina I won't have nothing,” says homeowner Rosie Robbins. She says she’s been on a waiting list for financial aid since 2005 and hasn’t gotten funds to raise her home.

“Where the money at that's what I want to know, because everyone's house around here needs to be elevated,” asks Robbins. Members of the South Bay Community Alliance and Alabama Arise, two community groups, are using this weekend's Katrina anniversary to highlight some problems left over from the storm. Alabama Arise will have a tour of areas affected by Katrina starting at nine tomorrow morning, 8/29/2009, on Rabby Street West.

Please note: Bayou La Batre officials were unavailable for comment on this story. It is Friday, their offices are closed and calls were not returned.

For information on the South Bay Community Alliance you can call Paul Nelson at 251-442-5213. For more information on Alabama Arise, Zack Carter can be reached by {encode="zack@alarise.org" title="e-mail"}.