08:53 PM CDT on Thursday, July 6, 2006

Lee Zurik / WWL-TV News Anchor

A drive on Interstate 10 from the high rise to the Twin Spans reveals a section of the city slowly recovering from Hurricane Katrina, but some people who live in that area say the drive does not reflect the recovery.

WWL

New Orleans East officials say about 20,000 of the 96,000 residents have returned home.

Lena Stewart’s New Orleans East home may appear incomplete. It filled up with water in the days after Katrina, but two weeks ago Stewart moved back in, and she said she is close to fully repairing her flooded home.

“I am so elated, so happy, even sleeping better in here,” said Stewart.

A group of residents said Stewart is not alone, and that thousands of people are sleeping in the east again.

“This is not a ghost town, contrary to what others think,” said Tangee Wall.

“We are more developed in New Orleans East than any other flooded area of the city of New Orleans,” said Joan Heisser.

Some local officials said while Lakeview and Gentilly are showing some signs of recovery, almost 20,000 of the 96,000 pre-Katrina residents have returned to New Orleans East.

In the Eastover subdivision, of the 225 homes, 15 families have returned, and many more say they are close to coming back.

“We have approximately 110 houses under active reconstruction, and it’s growing daily,” said Donald Pate with the Eastover Development Corporation.

Pate said he expects Eastover to be fully redeveloped in 13 months.

Many of the residents who have come back to the east say their biggest complaint was that many of the businesses such as drug stores and grocery stores have not returned.

New Orleans East Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis said a drugstore and bank should be opening soon.

“Right now, we have more than 145 small businesses back, businesses are making decisions to commit to New Orleans now” said Willard-Lewis.

Lena Stewart said she hopes more residents would make that commitment as well. She said she knows people holding onto insurance money, and some afraid to rebuild because of future storms.

“Whether you wait on a hurricane for this year or next year. If it’s coming, it’s coming, we can’t stop it.”