The New Orleans Katrina Memorial

The New Orleans Katrina Memorial. . , Side 1 , The New Orleans Katrina Memorial , On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina made landfall upon the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast. Bringing devastation to many communities. In New Orleans, storm surge and the failure of the levee system caused flooding in over 80% of the city. Trapping thousands in the chaotic aftermath. New Orleanians faced desperate circumstances in the homes, hospitals, the Super Dome and the other makeshift shelters. Despite the heroic efforts of the first responders, medical personnel, volunteers and the military over 1,100 citizens lost their lives in the disaster., Most of the deceased were identified and buried by loved ones in private ceremonies throughout the nation. Here lie the remaining. The unclaimed and unidentified victims of the storm from the New Orleans area. Some have been forgotten. Some remain unknown., This memorial is dedicated to these individuals and to all who suffered or died during the Hurricane Katrina. Let the victims here forever remind us of the those harrowing days and the long struggle to rebuild our city. Let their final resting place call us to constant preparedness. Let their should join into an eternal chorus, singing with the full might of the indomitable spirit of New Orleans. , Jeffery Rouse, M.D. Chief Deputy Coroner , August 29, 2009, Side 2 , The New Orleans Katrina Memorial Corporation , More than 1,100 persons in New Orleans and the surrounding communities perished in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. An unprecedented effort to recover and identify the dead was carried out, yet scores remained unidentified or unclaimed. Dr. Frank Minyard, coroner of Orleans Parish, created the New Orleans Katrina Memorial Corporation to build a final resting place to honor those victims. The site of the historic Charity Hospital Cemetery was selected and the memorial was designed to preserve and enhance its dignity.The memorial's design evokes the hurricane's shape and creates a meditative labyrinth, a healing space for reflection. The memorial received the remains of the unidentified or unclaimed victims and was declared to their memory on August 29, 2008. May they and all other victims of Hurricane Katrina find eternal peace.