Articles by Rebecca Santana

2 Unstable Cranes Felled at Site of Collapsed Hotel in New Orleans

Officials set off thundering explosions that toppled two cranes Sunday that had loomed precariously for days over a partially collapsed hotel in New Orleans, saying their controlled demolition went “exactly” as planned and efforts now would focus on retrieving two …

Gulf Coast Still Faces Flood, Tornado Risks from Weakened Barry

Even though Tropical Depression Barry did not unleash catastrophic flooding in Louisiana, many across the Gulf Coast were urged to take heed of tornado and flash-flood warnings Monday as the storm moved north. Barry was downgraded from a tropical storm …

Flooding Worries Grip New Orleans as Hurricane Season Nears

Dr. Lauren Morris’s dental office is in sight of one of the pumping stations designed to push water out of New Orleans. But despite that proximity, the roughly year-old business has already flooded. Now with the June 1 start to …

New Orleans’ Infrastructure Is Crumbling; Will Trump Plan Help?

When a heavy rain hits New Orleans, residents move their cars to higher ground for fear of fast-rising street flooding. Knee-deep potholes can eat a car’s fender. When pressure drops in the city’s aging water delivery system, restaurants and cafes …

Post-Katrina Lower 9th Ward Re-Development a Long Time Coming

Judging by the current empty lots, it’s hard to imagine the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina — a bustling neighborhood where African-American residents knew their neighbors, built their homes with their own hands and shopped at …

28 Injured in New Orleans Parade Crash; DWI Suspected

Authorities on Sunday identified the man who allegedly plowed into a crowd enjoying a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans while intoxicated. The New Orleans Police Department issued a statement identifying the man as 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto. Online jail records …

Mississippi Tornado Kills 4, Causes At Least $200M in Insured Damage

Rain was pouring down in the pre-dawn darkness, and the wind was picking up as Darryl McMorris ran for his daughters’ bedroom. The windows started blowing out as he dove on top of his girls, grabbing one under each arm …

As Louisiana Surveys Flood Damage, Death Toll Rises

As waters receded in parts of Louisiana’s capital city of Baton Rouge, some residents returned to their flood-damaged homes on Aug. 16 for the first time and found a soggy mess. David Key used a small boat to get to …

Baton Rouge Police Sued by ACLU, Other Groups over Protests

Civil rights groups and activists sued Baton Rouge law enforcement agencies over their treatment of protesters rallying against the police shooting death of a black man, saying officers used excessive force and physically and verbally abused peaceful demonstrators. The lawsuit, …

10 Years Post-Katrina New Orleans Rises but Gaps Remain

As people search for words to describe New Orleans’ recovery a decade after Hurricane Katrina, they sometimes use words verging on the Biblical — an economic and cultural resurrection, a rising from the ashes. Helped by billions of dollars in …