On Wednesday, February 19 at the Krewe of Nyx parade in Uptown New Orleans, Geraldine Carmauche was tragically killed when trying to cross between two sections of a float. Three nights later during the Endymion Parade in Mid-City, Joe Sampson died in a sadly similar manner. Not since 1981 when two children lost their lives had anyone been killed by a float during Mardi Gras.

To be sure, carnival season has witnessed horror more recently, from shootings to drunk drivers plowing into crowds and killing cyclists. For many New Orleanians, though, the deaths of Carmauche and Sampson felt distinctly different: they were killed by one of the most recognizable symbols of Mardi Gras itself. By the time news of Sampson’s death hit, people across the city were discussing whether Mardi Gras 2020 was accursed.

And there was broad agreement about the origins of the curse. Sitting in the Northwest corner of the French Quarter is the hulking carcass of the collapsed Hard Rock Hotel construction project. Taller than any nearby building to its north, south, and west, it dominates the city’s skyline from all three directions. At least three people died when the hotel construction project came crashing down on October 12, 2019. More than five months later, two bodies covered by tarps remain on the undemolished site, occasionally visible to passersby after a strong wind.