After attack, New Orleans is rattled but ready for the ‘Biggest Show on Earth’

In the last days before the Super Bowl -Lix in New Orleans, local, state and federal officials have described a touch to increase security plans that were robust, even before a New Year’s Day terror attacks loosened anguish and alarm in the city.

One of the most visible changes is the “improved security zone” around Bourbon Street, the site of the deadly striking attack and a hive of activity when the Super Bowl is in town. The Government Jeff Landry from Louisiana created the zone using an emergency, which also allows law enforcement authorities to seek the bags of people who come into the area and refuse access to anyone who refuses, officials said.

New Steel barriers are also installed to avert other potential striking attacks; The barriers were partially added by concern that a new bollard system that was in the works before the attack was not strong enough to stop faster trucks. No bollards were in place on Bourbon Street when the attack happened.

Even before New Year’s chaos, they reflected security measures planned for the Super Bowl, the kind of huge and layered response that has become standard for an event of this size – one that took months of coordination and drew years of experience.

But in recent weeks, officials have repeatedly tried to reassure residents and visitors by describing how they had evaluated and fine -tuned these plans after a man plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street. Fourteen people were killed and dozens more were wounded in the attack, about a mile from the football stadium.

The blocks around the stadium, Caesar’s Superdome, have become a maze of barricades, fences and closed roads. About 2,000 law enforcement authorities will be deployed over the weekend – many in uniform and many others work hidden. There are also control points, armed National Guard troops and drones and helicopters that constantly hovers over their heads.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” said Collin Arnold, the city’s director of Homeland Security and Emergency Crepedness. “This last month has been very, very busy, but we are ready. This city is ready. “

Even for a city that is used to tourism, conventions and major cultural events, the effort that Super Bowl is is unmatched. The event is expected to bring more than 125,000 people to New Orleans in the coming days, including the highest profiled celebrities, athletes and business leaders. The White House officials said this week that President Trump was planning to attend.

“The biggest show on earth will go off without any problems,” Mr. Landry on a briefing Monday.

On the same briefing, Kristi Noem, the federal security secretary, said there were “no specific, credible threats” with regard to the Super Bowl. She joined Mr. Landry and a parade of law enforcement authorities calling for a reasonable amount of caution but also emphasized that preparations were extensive.

The message was intended to ease the unrest stirred by the attack on New Orleans’ most famous street.

Investigators said the attack had been carried out by a 42-year-old US army veteran from Texas, who claimed to have joined the Islamic State terrorist organization, known as ISIS. He left two improvised explosion devices in coolers on the street in the French neighborhood before driving a rented pickup into an audience around 3:15 on New Year’s morning.

The striker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was killed in a shootout with police who also injured two officers.

The play bread caused pain in what was supposed to be a season of obvious that comes in front of the parties and the parades leading up to Mardi Gras. The Sugar Bowl, College -Football match, played in New Orleans every January, was delayed by one day due to the attack. The city is also preparing for the jazz and cultural heritage festival, which begins in April.

“We have worked tirelessly to ensure that the safety and safety of this city remains intact,” Mr. Landry, a Republican who added that coming to New Orleans – and enjoying it – was an important display of the tross in the demand for terror.

New Orleans’ story with the Super Bowl is almost as old as the event itself. Kansas City Chiefs beat Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, under the Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium in 1970. The Super Bowl returned nine times between 1972 and 2013. On Sunday, when Chiefs face Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans will tie Miami to host For the most Super Bowls, 11.

Of all the logistical challenges that come with hosting the event, security is perhaps the biggest and most complicated. Mr. Arnold said that New Orleans representatives had embedded in the last two matches in Las Vegas and Glendale, Ariz., To fully understand all that entails. “It’s a tall order to take on something like this,” he said.

The Super Bowl is classified by the Department of Homeland Security as a Level 1 event, which means it has greater national and international significance and requires extensive federal support.

It draws officers from New Orlean’s Police Department and other local departments, Louisiana State Police, FBI and other federal agencies. Their presence is concentrated on Superdome, the New Orleans Convention Center and the websites with related events nearby.

“The safest place to be this weekend will be under the security paraphrust that this team has put together,” said Cathy L. Lanier, head of security officer for National Football League and a former Washington police chief DC

But local officials acknowledged that their concerns stretched out over the Super Bowl weekend. Mr. Arnold said that the festivities around Mardi Gras – with dozens of parades wrapping through the city and crowds leaning into the French neighborhood – will in some ways be harder to protect than the Super Bowl.

This year, officials in Homeland Security have also ranked Mardi Gras, who was previously considered a lower-level regional event as a level 1 event for the first time, enabling more federal resources. A free app that is rolled out to the Super Bowl called Nola Ready will also be available under Mardi Gras and beyond; It allows users to quickly report an emergency to the authorities, share their locations with friends and get traffic and security information.

The state has also used Mr. Landry’s emergency to justify the clearing of homeless camp near Superdome ahead of the game. Critics have claimed that the move was less about security than ensuring that the people who lived in tents were nowhere near the Super Bowl tourists and TV cameras, which disturbed life and routines in the process. The dozens that were displaced could choose to be led to a temporary shelter away from the city center, which promised access to resources, pets and pendulum runs to ferry people to work and appointments.

In the improved security zone in the French quarter, ice creamists and backpack cooler are prohibited. But state legislation still allows people to transport hidden guns into the zone, although shooting shooting has been a persistent problem in the French neighborhood.

The additional measures taken by the state since the attack and will continue through Mardi Gras are expected to cost about $ 52 million, officials said.

There have been some dents when New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl before, as in 2013, when the lights in Superdome went out for 34 minutes during the game. But even before Sunday’s game, some city leders already considered the opportunity to host the 12th time.

“Track Record, I think, speaks for themselves,” said Anne Kirkpatrick, the city’s police superintendent.

New Orleans is often praised for its resilience, which officials brought up again this week. It is a source of troubled pride for residents who have weathered hurricanes and extreme heat, the punishing toll of Coronavirus pandemic and an increase in violence recently spread.

In the most stressful moments that reflect on past difficulties and how the city had the resources, it can provide some comfort.

“We jump back,” Mr. Arnold, “And I think that will be the case here.”