NEW ORLEANS — The residents of the city nearly destroyed by floods caused by Hurricane Katrina marked the 10th anniversary of the catastrophe the only way they know how — with song, dance and solemn remembrance.
“New Orleans is on a path to a better place,” the city’s mayor, Mitch Landrieu, said Saturday.
“This is a story about resurrection and redemption,” added Landrieu, who also noted that the city would not cease working on behalf of many who are still struggling.
The commemoration began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the city’s memorial for Katrina dead. There, behind unmarked stones, lie dozens of unclaimed bodies found in the city during and after the brackish waters receded.
Katrina killed more than 1,800 people along the Gulf Coast, most of them in New Orleans.
Although the memorial marks the graves of those whose families never claimed them, Landrieu said they are no longer unclaimed, because “we claim them.”
The day capped a week of reflection, learning and giving thanks. The city showed off its remarkable recovery from a storm that left more than 80 percent of it under water.
From a restored public transit system to a new, multibillion-dollar pump and levee system that will bolster the city from future storms, New Orleans, many say, is better than it ever was.
“You just can’t imagine what this city looked like after Katrina,” said Norman Francis, president of Xavier University, who also served as chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority after the storm. “We pulled ourselves up and back.”
“This is a celebration because, if you had asked me if we would be like this, I would have said ‘no way,’ ” Francis said. “You could smell the stench of dead bodies in the city.”
President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush visited the city and delivered remarks this past week. Saturday night, former President Bill Clinton headlined the city’s signature event.
To mark the day Katrina made landfall, all across the city Saturday brass bands played and second-line parades swayed through the streets in a celebration that is in keeping with the spirit of the city known for marking its most somber moments with lively song and dance.
Downtown, the city bustled with the crush of tourists. And in neighborhoods uptown, residents walked the streets, many of them finally able to return home.
Even in the Lower 9th Ward, where residents endured the worst devastation, they danced, sang and celebrated their community.
“These are my roots, and this is my home,” said Jerome Merricks, 58, who evacuated from the Lower 9th during Katrina and hasn’t been able to move back home. Merricks, who lives in Baton Rouge, La., says he comes back every year to mark the Katrina anniversary. “It’s hard to get rid of the 9th Ward.”
Most people here say they will never forget the sights and sounds of the violent storm and its aftermath. But some are also ready to look to the future.
“I hope that in 15 years, we’re not going ‘It’s the 25th anniversary of Katrina,’ ” said Donald Decker, 49.
“There are still going to be some wounds,” he added. “But it’s time to just start looking forward.”
