Some Facts

Some of these figures may help us understand how the situation in New Orleans got to be as bad as it is. This is more than a terrible natural disaster - it lays bare how large the class gap is in this country. Take a look:

-28% of people in New Orleans are under the poverty line. Compare this with 9% of the general American population. (NY Times)
-Of those under the poverty line in New Orleans, 84% are African-American. (NY Times)
-50,000 households in New Orleans do not have cars. 35% of black households do not have cars, compared to 15% of the white households. (NY Times)
-Public assistance checks are typically mailed on the first of the month. Since the hurricane came at the end of the month, many did not have money they could have used to possibly evacuate. About 4.5 percent of the population in the disaster area received public assistance; nationwide, the number was about 3.5 percent. (AP)
-Nationwide, about 7 percent of households with children are headed by a single mother. In the three dozen worst hit neighborhoods (in N.O., Mississippi, and Alabama), 12 percent were single-mother households. (AP)
-Many of the poorest neighborhoods are in low-elevation areas of the city and were therefore hit with the most severe flooding.
-New Orleans was ranked the eighth most dangerous city in America in a study published in November, 2004. (Morgan Quitno).

There are some interesting maps showing demographics, crime statistics as well as the extent of the flooding.

If anyone has any more important facts and figures, please feel free to post a comment.