WASHINGTON - "An incredible amount has been done, but an incredible amount still needs to be done," said Derrell Cohoon, CEO of the Louisiana chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). He briefly discussed the national economic impact that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had with Ken Simonson, chief economist for the AGC, during a recent podcast.
Cohoon reported that 73 percent of the debris in Louisiana has been removed. This percentage, he said, is equivalent to the removal of more than 35 million cubic yards of debris. As wreckage is being removed and property owners are returning, demolition is beginning to ramp up. According to Cohoon, there are more than 200,000 damaged housing units. Contracts are currently in place with multiple services, and damaged homes are beginning to come down.