Recession another blow to Miss. Katrina survivors

The South Mississippi Sun Herald / The Associated Press ^ | August 28, 2009 | Shelia Byrd

[2ndDivisionVet]

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. -- In the four years since Hurricane Katrina swallowed Barbara Lambert's Gulf Coast house, her family has slowly rebuilt its life - moving out of a FEMA mobile home and to another city, finding a job for her husband and enrolling the kids in new schools.

Then, the recession hit.

The Lamberts and others in the hurricane-stricken region are struggling through renewed hard times as federal recovery dollars dry up and the recession chokes off jobs and charitable help. For the Lamberts, paying next month's rent is the latest worry as a federal hurricane assistance program ends.

"It's hard as hell to find a house to accommodate five kids," said Barbara Lambert. "Katrina took all the cheap houses."

The recession's toll on a region still emerging from one of the worst natural disasters in the nation's history can be seen in unemployment rates ranging from 8.6 percent to 11.1 percent in south Mississippi counties.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Let me be the first to say it: Obama's fault!

[WOBBLY BOB]

every day another excuse to be a loser in loserville.

[nufsed]

Headline in 40 years. Katrina survivor dies poor.

[Cementjungle]

Fear not, the recession’s over according to the DNC/MSM.

[gthog61]

Wait, I thought New Orleans has a monopoly on Katrina handwringing. I thought MS was not “chocolate” enough for the media to cover.

[Roscoe Karns]

[max americana]

I feel for those poor souls...now where o where are they gonna find their next booze money?

[Dallas59]

Things aren't all that bad in NO...

[SeminoleSoldier]

Ummm, Katrina was a good while back. Get on with it!!! I’m from Florida, I’ve been through plenty of hurricanes, had house damage, had to stay in a hotel for a few weeks, had the cars damaged. There have been earthquakes, storms, fires, and floods in plenty of other parts of the US. Why don’t we hear about how devestated those people are? Why are they able to keep on living?

[Flag_This]

Did it take this long to rebuild western Europe after WWII?

[mathurine]

Horse of a different color!

[HIDEK6]

Headline in 40 years. Katrina survivor dies poor.

There was a Katrina Survivors Reunion last week in Raleigh.

4,000 people attended.

[ladyjane]

Four years and these folks are still moaning and carrying on. When does it end? LOL

[elkfersupper]

I've had enough of this.

The Katrina survivors should move to where the food is.

At the time of Katrina, it was uphill a few miles. Now, it may be Estonia.

[Doogle]

"It's hard as hell to find a house to accommodate five kids,"

..perhaps if you had beaten that woman that accepted that "free" home the church gave away and then sold.. you'd be living some place comfortable...

[nufsed]

That was not sa reunion. It was a demonstration for reparations.

[SkyPilot]

I worked for Joint Task Force Katrina in evacuation and disaster relief for 37 straight days after the storm. We did a lot of good.

Seeing this headline, it appears to one of these:

NY TIMES: God Says World to End Tomorrow - Women and Minorities Hardest Hit

[Doogle]

...hmmmm..???..bad week for women named Barbara Lambert...RAT Barbara Lambert was one who got caught playing solitare......

[RedMonqey]

The Katrina survivors should move to where the food is.

A Sam Kinison fan, I presume?

[RedMonqey]

Thousands of new apartment and home units have been constructed, but higher rent and insurance costs keep them out of reach for residents.

Quit building homesteads along the "scenic" seashores and floodplains and expecting others to pay for your idiotic pleasures.

Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran said when counties reappraised property last year, some residents' taxes tripled.

Ah, the benevolent hand of government. If nobody can buy homes then why are taxes being raised?