Poll: Most have a good image of New Orleans More than seven years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, a slim majority of Americans say the city has yet to fully recover, but most have a good image of New Orleans and seven in ten are optimistic about its future. 36 percent of Americans say New Orleans has mostly recovered from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, but 51 percent don't think it has. These views are similar to what they were in 2010, five years after Hurricane Katrina hit. Southerners are more likely than those living in other regions of the country to say New Orleans has mostly recovered. NOLA crime drops, but murder rate remains high Still, Americans have a positive view of New Orleans overall. 64 percent say they have a good image of the city, a dip from a few years ago, but a 15-point increase from August 2006, just a year after Katrina made landfall. Men, women, and Americans of all age groups have a positive opinion of New Orleans, but the city is more popular with younger Americans than with those who are older. As New Orleans prepares to host the Super Bowl this year, 71 percent of Americans are optimistic about the city's future. Even those who do not think New Orleans has recovered from the effects of Hurricane Katrina feel good about the city's future. Among Americans who have visited New Orleans (34% in this poll), 68% have a good image of the city and 73 percent are optimistic about its future. For full poll results, see next page This poll was conducted by telephone from January 24-27, 2013 among 1,052 adults nationwide.