By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
I’ve learned from my visit to the Gulf that each community along the coast is having and will continue to have vastly different experiences dealing with the oil spill.
Some areas, such as Gulfport, Miss., are physically untouched by the oil, but their sandy white beaches stand virtually empty as worried vacationers stay away. Other parts of the Gulf are struggling most with the environmental impact of the spill, such as Grand Isle, La. And still other communities are most concerned about the effect it could have on the local job market.
The city of Houma, La., falls into the last category. This community fared well after Katrina, avoiding the extensive damage that was felt in communities to the east. The city gained 7,000 residents from New Orleans and other neighboring areas. Today, the population is estimated at 120,000.
Houma does not touch the coast, but the majority of its residents depend on the Gulf of Mexico for their livelihood. Oil is not washing up in their backyard, but in a way it is—as I mentioned in my previous post, 60 percent of this region’s economy is tied to deep water drilling. Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
These boats are helping in the cleanup efforts. That's dirty boom hanging off the ship (yellow material). In this region, it only takes about an hour for boom to be spoiled. The bottom of that ship is coated in oil. The Gulf does smell like gas, but I only on the water.
Houma, La., yesterday, Grand Isle, La., today, Gulfport, Miss., tomorrow.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far on my trip to the Gulf:
Most people living here are opposed to the moratorium on deep water drilling because it would worsen economic impact of the spill. “Do you want to see this country completely dependent on foreign energy sources?” asks Bill Boyd, broker-owner of Town & Country Real Estate in Houma, La. “That would be devastating to the Gulf.”
He says that in the Terrebone and Lafourche parishes of Louisiana, oil contributes to about 60 percent of the economy, followed by fishing at 20-25 percent, and to a lesser extent, agriculture (sugarcane) and medical. Here’s a NYTimes story that outlines how and why deepwater drilling is such a huge economic driver in the Gulf region.
I’ve also found a lot of resentment among locals, especially on Grand Isle, toward BP for what they view as a slow response and cleanup. “I would take 10 Katrinas over this because after a hurricane, it’s done. We can clean up and we can survive. We’re a hands-on community,” says Carolyn Angelette, broker-owner of Century 21 Island Realty in Grand Isle where the beaches are now completely closed.
Angelette is especially concerned about a drop in tourism. “Grand Isle is about the beach, fishing, and fresh seafood. Are we going to get that back? No one knows. Who’s going to come [to Grand Isle] if you can’t fish?” Angelette says. Continue reading »
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