New Orleans’ City Park Reopens

Hurricane Gustav caused flooding and trees to topple in City Park

New Orleans’ City Park, said to be home to the largest collection of mature live oak trees in the world—some over 600 years old—was ravaged in 2005 by Katrina. Almost exactly three years later, Hurricane Gustav closed the park for a week.

Herculean efforts were necessary to reopen City Park after Katrina (“Resurrection of a Garden” https://landscapearchitect.com/research/article/8689). Gustav, by comparison, was not catastrophic, but it was no slouch, either. It still caused between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in damages for the park, factoring in the downed trees, debris and loss of revenue. City Park reports contractors are “righting over 200 recently planted trees that have a distinct Gustav list.”

Over 30 volunteers, many of who were still getting their homes in order after the storm, came to the park on Saturday Sept. 8 to clear debris from Storyland.

City Park noted: “Gustav huffed and he puffed, but he could not blow the Three Little Pigs exhibit in Storyland down.”