Visualizing the corrosive community: Looting in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

After visiting his home in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the author is confronted with a newly configured landscape and a new social reality marked by a culture of distrust and a decline in social capital among residents. The comments here view one aspect of the corrosive community impact: the decline in civic trust, more specifically, trust and interaction among neighbors. One indicator of this distrust is evidenced by signs posted to limit illegal activity. These signs are posted throughout New Orleans and the surrounding areas to deter looters from the outside and looters from "within."