Hurricanes Katrina and Rita spent only a matter of hours in the Gulf Coast region. Their aftereffects, however, will be felt for years. The region lost between 275,000 and 300,000 homes and roughly as many were damaged, according to the AIA. Figures for nonresidential buildings and infrastructure were not available at press time, but in an illustration of the extent of damage, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Economic Development estimated that 5 billion board feet of lumber and 3 billion square feet of paneling would be needed for rebuilding and repairs in that state alone. Most of the repair and rebuilding in the region is likely to be completed by the end of 2008, according to research by the AIA.
Shortly after Katrina, architects, engineers, and other specialists joined local and national authorities in surveying the damage resulting from high winds, storm surges, and generalized flooding. The effects of polluted water on buildings were hard to gauge, according to experts.
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