With preparations for the approaching Hurricane Gustav taking center stage, some of the planned ceremonies to mark the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina were canceled or hurried. But the lasting damage of that storm cannot be forgotten, as it’s still clearly visible in many areas, according to Allison Barca, DVM, a veterinarian who serves New Orleans’ equine population.

Barca last spoke with The Horse just before the second anniversary of the storm. You can read that report at Building Back: Two Years after Katrina.  

Today, things remain much the same as they did at this time in 2007.

"As far as the horse industry goes I think it’s started coming back," Barca said. "The people who were really interested in getting their stuff back together again have done so. There are still whole empty neighborhoods–large acres of empty neighborhoods. Some people still haven’t even gutted their houses