Rebuilding Jackson Barracks

New Orleans, LA February, 2009 FEMA obligates more than $55 million to help rebuild a part of New Orleans history after Katrina. Major General Hunt Downer Louisiana National Guard Jackson Barracks was the headquarters for the Louisiana National Guard. It was the heartbeat, it was the center of operations. Like everything in South Louisiana, Hurricane Katrina followed 25 days later by Hurricane Rita. For us, it totally damaged and devastated this post. We were 100 percent damaged or destroyed. We had close to 200 structures that were damaged or destroyed. Part of our rebuilding safer, stronger, smarter is we’re consolidating some of the smaller buildings which were maybe added piecemeal over the years into one. The rest, we have down the side street here, 13 woodframe homes from the 1930's that were significantly damaged. They will be replaced with 13 brand new homes, again FEMA public assistance dollars are building those. What's really unique about Jackson barracks is we stand here today.. this post built in 1835, the number of buildings that have survived since 1835, together, is the largest single collection of antebellum structures at any single location in the entire country. We must preserve them and restore them and protect them at all cost. Some of the FEMA money will likely go with that. I think we're a good news story for the rest of the country. We probably have one of every FEMA public assistance example taking place here. So that we work within the system and we are confident based on all of the.. we don't have obstacles, we have speed bumps. Based on all of the speed bumps that we've encountered, that FEMA, Congress, and the public officials that have the authority to change those things that cause these speed bumps, will do so. For more information visit www.fema.gov