Inside F&F Botanica, Jonathan and Tanya Scott's candle shop in New Orleans.
Courtesy of Jehan Strouse
After Hurricane Katrina dumped 10 feet of water into their New Orleans home in the fall of 2005, Jonathan and Tanya Scott spent eight months trying to put their lives back together.
They eventually decided it was time to think outside of the box, so the Scotts packed up what was left of their belongings and moved to Portland.
"In the time period after Katrina, everything was kind of surreal," said Jonathan. "People were really just scrambling to put their lives back together."
They set up a Portland branch of their family-run candle business, Orleans Candle Company. They said it was like having "a little slice of New Orleans" on North Lombard Street.
Jonathan and Tanya had visited Portland and some of Oregon's scenic destinations like Manzanita Beach. But when they moved here, they also found a warm and welcoming community.
"We found out just how many people love New Orleans when we arrived in North Portland, and St. Johns, and Portsmouth. So many people really made it their mission to support us and make sure that New Orleanians that were seeking refuge in Portland were well supported," Tanya said.
Their store also became a hub for other people who fled to Portland after Hurricane Katrina. Many people who evacuated New Orleans after the storm decided to leave permanently for different cities, and Portland was no exception.
Jonathan and Tanya loved Portland. But eventually, it was too hard to run their business in both Portland and New Orleans. They had managed to reopen their shop in New Orleans, and there were still no direct flights between the two cities.
When they returned home to New Orleans in 2010, they found a city in the middle of some noticeable changes. Jonathan and Tanya have a little inside joke between them: parts of New Orleans are starting to look a little bit like Portland.
"They have bike lanes, you'll see the community gardens, and just a more mindful approach to the environment," said Jonathan.
"And truly, that's in certain areas. There are areas that remain relatively untouched since the storm," added Tanya.
That kind of change appears split along racial lines. A poll reported by The New York Times found that while a majority of white residents believe that life has gotten better since the storm, nearly 60 percent of black residents say it has not.
Jonathan and Tanya said they definitely see the racial divide, especially in New Orleans East. "Gentrification is occurring all throughout the nation," they added, "The thing in New Orleans is that the storm made it happen so much faster."
While they've decided to make their home back in New Orleans, Jonathan and Tanya feel like they haven't quite left Portland — and they may even be back soon.
"Because we're property owners, we still have plans to return and possibly reopen a business."