What We Learned From Hurricane Katrina

Obama will draw a contrast with the initial botched response to the storm under President George W. Bush, which forced storm survivors to wait days for government assistance, marring his presidency.

Another change on the fly: Our “Great Beginnings” back-to-school series, which was usually reserved for a prominent position atop the front page, was relegated 10 years ago to the bottom – or on some days, off the front page completely.

“I was anxious because when I first heard about it it was in the Gulf and it was like a category 5”. That’s exactly why so many people, sometimes with little more than grit, determination and an unyielding desire for home, decided to return even when there was nothing to return to. Since the hurricane, the issue has only gotten worse.

Among the heroes of Katrina was John Keller, a former US Marine who saved hundreds of neighbours by herding them to the roof of his apartment building.

Bonner said it would be news if officials didn’t show up to mark the anniversary.

“At one time I did consider myself a survivor, now it’s just you know, I’m from New Orleans, I mean it’s what we do”, said Jerome Hubbard who lived through the natural disaster. It hasn’t been.

“Many people thought the city would not survive at all or it would be a diminished version of itself, which it’s not, ” she said. Levees protecting New Orleans failed and 80 percent of the crescent city flooded. “It really became evident to Lamar because so many of our employees had family in and around where the storm devastation was we needed to do something”.

“It’s happening here in the desert as well as all over in Lamar land”. It fired all of the teachers, counselors and administrators. New Orleans, my hometown, was never going to be the same.

Since that day, a lot has changed for New Orleans and hurricane forecasting. The most common transgression is willful disobedience.

A decade later, two new polls find that race continues to remain a powerful force in how residents have experienced recovery. I could tell you, for instance, that about 15,000 young folks between 16 and 24 are not working or in school. The good news is that there are people who are trying to address these challenges.

I’m still optimistic that all of these conversations will lead to action. “Quite the opposite; it would distract from the losses we have suffered, diminish the restoration effort we have made and overshadow the miracle that has been the Louisiana comeback”. New Orleans does not want to be Houston or Atlanta.