New Orleans -- The Louisiana Superdome yesterday hosted its first professional football game since Hurricane Katrina, marking a milestone in this city's recovery.
More than 68,000 people jammed the covered stadium to see the New Orleans Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons 23-3. Several celebrities helped celebrate the stadium's reopening, including local musicians Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr., and film director Spike Lee. Members of the bands U2 and Green Day performed for the crowd.
Thousands of desperate evacuees took refuge in the Superdome in the days following Aug. 29 last year, when Katrina struck New Orleans and broke the city's levees, thus allowing the waters of Lake Pontchartrain to cause widespread flooding.
The storm damaged the stadium's roof, and much of the building was left in disrepair from the unexpected crowd. In addition to building repairs, the $185-million restoration project included state-of-the-art scoreboards and a fresh field.
Also marking another step toward the city's recovery, the first newly built hotel in New Orleans since Katrina opened last week, the 450-room Harrah's New Orleans. The hotel is situated adjacent to Harrah's Casino and near the Ernest Morial Convention Center.