Spring Break
Alumna shares Hurricane Katrina clean-up experience
Eau Claire graduate reminds audience there is still much more work to be done
Timothy Langton
Issue date: 3/5/07 Section: Campus News
A year-and-a-half after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, there is still much work to be done in New Orleans and other affected areas, said UW-Eau Claire graduate JoAnn Parks in the presentation she gave Friday in Phillips 265.
Parks, who graduated in 1996 with a degree in geography, spoke of her experience taking part in the relief efforts.
Parks said her company, Applied Data Consultants, quickly deployed her to the devastated areas in the days after Katrina. She said she often worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, providing help for the affected areas in Mississippi and Louisiana.
She was a part of the Task Force Hope Mississippi group located in Diamondhead, Miss., and traveled up and down the coast helping debris removal efforts.
"You could drive all day (in New Orleans) and not drive out of all the damage," Parks said of the aftermath of Katrina.
She described how ADC used Global Information Systems to map the affected areas before Katrina hit, using aerial photos taken by the Army Corps of Engineers to determine the amount of debris removal necessary to get the areas back to normal. She also helped create maps to show survivors of Katrina areas where emergency facilities were located, she said.
Parks' presentation featured aerial photographs taken in Louisiana and Mississippi. They showed large fields of debris and displaced homes, hundreds of feet from their foundations.
"People around (the Midwest) don't quite understand the extent of the damage," Parks said.
Senior Mark Cooper, who attended the event, said Parks' talk was informative and eye-opening.
"It was an interesting talk," Cooper said. "There still are a lot of things being done down there."
Parks noted that there have been large strides in the recovery process in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
"There were a lot of 'thank yous' down there," she said.
But she concluded her presentation with a reminder of how much work still needs to be done. Damaged roads and areas filled with diseased water are still prevalent in many residential areas, she said.
"It's a long road home yet."
Parks, who graduated in 1996 with a degree in geography, spoke of her experience taking part in the relief efforts.
Parks said her company, Applied Data Consultants, quickly deployed her to the devastated areas in the days after Katrina. She said she often worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, providing help for the affected areas in Mississippi and Louisiana.
She was a part of the Task Force Hope Mississippi group located in Diamondhead, Miss., and traveled up and down the coast helping debris removal efforts.
"You could drive all day (in New Orleans) and not drive out of all the damage," Parks said of the aftermath of Katrina.
She described how ADC used Global Information Systems to map the affected areas before Katrina hit, using aerial photos taken by the Army Corps of Engineers to determine the amount of debris removal necessary to get the areas back to normal. She also helped create maps to show survivors of Katrina areas where emergency facilities were located, she said.
Parks' presentation featured aerial photographs taken in Louisiana and Mississippi. They showed large fields of debris and displaced homes, hundreds of feet from their foundations.
"People around (the Midwest) don't quite understand the extent of the damage," Parks said.
Senior Mark Cooper, who attended the event, said Parks' talk was informative and eye-opening.
"It was an interesting talk," Cooper said. "There still are a lot of things being done down there."
Parks noted that there have been large strides in the recovery process in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
"There were a lot of 'thank yous' down there," she said.
But she concluded her presentation with a reminder of how much work still needs to be done. Damaged roads and areas filled with diseased water are still prevalent in many residential areas, she said.
"It's a long road home yet."
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
A friend
posted 3/05/07 @ 6:48 AM CST
"She described how ADC used Global Information Systems to map the affected areas before Katrina hit, using aerial photos taken by the Army Corps of Engineers to determine the amount of debris removal necessary to get the areas back to normal. (Continued…)
Warren Kraft (Pol Sci 1974)
posted 3/05/07 @ 4:41 PM CST
Kudos to JoAnn and to all the UW-EC students who continue to make the trek to the Gulf Coast. During his spring break next month, my son and I will make our 5th trip to the region. (Continued…)
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