bone-of-contention:

palaeopathological:

madame-mortality:

After the tragic Hurricane Katrina of 2005, many individuals returned to their homes which were marked with large X’s. Some houses, abandoned or not, still bare these symbols today.

The “Katrina Cross” or X-codes were painted on the houses by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after searching the houses during the storm’s aftermath. The X-code is simple: Going clockwise, the first quadrant contains the date the house was searched. The second quadrant notes any hazards inside the house. The third quadrant notes if anyone, dead or alive, was found inside the house. The fourth quadrant identifies the rescue team that searched the house.

Some abbreviations used for the hazard quadrant:

NE-No entry

GL-Gas leak

TFW-Toxic flood water

F/W-Food and water (left for pets)

EXT-Exterior surveyed

Some abbreviations for the body count quadrant:

0A or 0D-No one found

A-Alive

D-Dead

LV-Live

DOA-Dead on Arrival

0-0-No survivors

Some abbreviations for the rescue team quadrant:

HSUS-Humane Society of the United States

NOPD-New Orleans Police Department

TX-Texas National Guard

D-Mor-Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team

LSP-Lousiana State Police

An incomplete X or a dash signals a search in progress. An X in a square means the house is dangerous and should not be entered. A lone square signals it is safe for rescue teams to enter. A dash in a square means the house may have significant damage and should be entered with caution. An X with a filled circle in the center means the search was terminated before its completion.

For more information, visit https://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/usr/usr_23_20080205_rog.pdf

Woah.  This post really resonated with me.  If anyone else is interested in looking into this a little bit deeper, here’s a couple links with some more information:

Spray-Painted FEMA X Still Marks the Storm in New Orleans
http://www.curbed.com/2015/8/19/9929170/fema-x

Katrina +5: An X-Code Exhibition
https://southernspaces.org/2010/katrina-5-x-code-exhibition

Reblogging again for the added info!