The Historic Lower Ninth Ward

On August 29, 2005, at about 7:45a.m., the Industrial Canal flood wall broke with an explosive sound, heard by many residents near North Johnson Street and Jourdan Avenue. At that time, the Lower Ninth Ward was home to some 3400 families, over 50% homeowners. Isolated by man-made structures and water, this proud neighborhood had long been a place where people of color could thrive economically by transferring home home ownership from one generation to the next.Over the next decade many struggled to rebuild often with the help of volunteers.