broadcast on Weekend Edition Sunday, National Public Radio

The City of Slidell, just north across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. But unlike the lower parishes of Southeast Louisiana, the water in the Slidell area, for the most part, came in and went out. That allowed the region to recover quickly and tens of thousands of displaced residents have moved in to be close to home, boosting the population by nearly a third.

Still, Slidell businesses that have decided to reopen face uncertain futures.