KATRINA

Ann

14 years ago

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Two years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Katrina was a powerful Category 3 hurricane when it hit the Gulf Coast on the morning of August 29, 2005, breaking through levees in New Orleans and flooding over 80 percent of the city. By the time the last of the water dried up weeks later, more than 1,600 people across Louisiana and Mississippi were dead, and shocked Americans were looking at miles and miles of wrecked homes, high water, mud and debris, and many floating dead bodies from one of the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.

-Approximately 1,836 people lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Katrina and in the subsequent floods that occurred later.

-Katrina marked the deadliest U. S. hurricane since 1928’s Hurricane “Okeechobee” which killed approximately 4,078 people.

-Damage from Katrina was estimated at $84 million.

-Approximately 1 million people fled New Orleans and its surrounding suburbs by the time Katrina hit landfall.

-At its peak, Katrina hit Category 3 on the morning of August 28, 2005, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph.

-Over 70 countries pledged monetary donations, with Kuwait donating the most.

-The name “Katrina” has been retired and replaced on the hurricane list by the World Meterological Organization with the name “Katia”. Because of the large loss of life the name was officially retired on April 6, 2006.

-The U.S. Coast Guard reportedly rescued approximately 35,000 people during the disaster.

-One year after the disaster there were still approximately 100,000 people still living in more than 38,000 FEMA-provided trailers.

Two years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. In the days following the tragedy, promises to help rebuild that great city and get New Orleanians back on their feet rolled in from the Bush Administration. It turns out, that’s all they were—empty promises.

Two years later, many New Orleanians are still living in FEMA-provided trailers. Two years later only 3 major hospitals are operating to provide medical care to patients. Two years later questions have risen on whether the levees are being built with substandard engineering applications. Many residents question the structural integrity of the levees being built now and if the remaining existing levees being repaired now are being properly repaired, and would the levees be able to withstand another Katrina-like disaster. Two years later, as the nation looks toward the Gulf Coast on the second anniversary of the devastating storm, Hurricane Katrina, everyone wonders whether the promises to help the region have been kept. Today, as signs of rebuilding take place throughout the Gulf Coast, the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans remains deserted, while the French Quarter, famous abode of the Mardi Gras, is given much attention to its rebuilding for the tourists.

The anniversary was a reminder of the desperation that filled New Orleans’ flooding neighborhoods in the days after Katrina hit. Images of dead bodies, people in the flood zones calling from their roofs and waiting days for help, and of the thousands of evacuees packed into the grimy and damaged Superdome, are still fresh in many minds.

And all the while there has been only talk, talk, talk. Politicians have used the date to pitch policy—talking about what they are going to do for fear of losing their standing in their constituents eyes.

Scholars and activists have released a steady stream of reports on the state of recovery, recovery which is still no farther than what has been done in the last two years, with many native New Orleanians still scattered around the country, many of them still living i n Houston, Texas, (which took the brunt of the most numbers of Katrina survivors), and many are still living in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and many other cities.

And, please, anyone who still does not know any better, stop calling Katrina survivors REFUGEES. These survivors are U.S. CITIZENS, and should be treated as such. That the response time to Katrina’s devastation was slow and callous, speaks volumes of how America has a double standard in its response to this national tragedy—a tragedy that is a national disgrace.

Would the local, state and federal governments have responded the way they did if such a colossal loss of white people’s lives had occurred from Katrina? Yes, white people were victims of Katrina, but, the overwhelming numbers of victims were black Americans. Would the response of shooting at survivors on rooftops, demanding that they leave their homes under threat of arrest have been leveled which such disregard if the majority of the victims were white? Would there have been less slanderous epithets hurled of “looters” if the majority of victims were white, instead of black: “White people find food, black people loot food”?

I doubt it very seriously.

America has a selective memory when it comes to her black citizens and the tragedies that befell black people from Katrina shows that up very well. President Bush promised NOLA aid and help, and to date many parts of NOLA have received little to no help or aid. (Though some [St. Bernard’s Parish], have received more help than others [the Lower 9TH Ward ]). Bush was elected leader of the American people, and ALL American people should be his priority.

What has truly helped the people of the Gulf Coast was not the government, not the insurance companies (many of which denied claim coverage to their customers), but, from the many regular, everyday Americans who opened up their hands, their hearts, their lives—their homes—to the Katrina survivors. Americans who gave, and continue to give, their time, money, moral support, friendship and volunteer work as many Americans across the country still pour into NOLA to work selflessly to help rebuild NOLA. Recovery has been slow, but, many people of NOLA have not lost their spirit to rebuild their beloved city and keep it going.

We must all not forget the citizens of New Orleans and we must continue to call and write our state representatives, senators, as well as the national media to make sure that NOLA is not forgotten in people’s consciouses. Tell them that it is unconscionable to allow neglect and apathy to continue to keep NOLA out of people’s minds. This goes not only for the great city of New Orleans, but, it also goes for the entire Gulf Coast areas devastated by Katrina.

August 28, 2007 was the 2ND anniversary of Katrina, and for U.S. citizens to still be living in trailers, vehicles which were designed for vacationing and not for living in as homes, is uncalled for. The survivors of Katrina need homes to live in and the government should live up to its promise to remedy the housing conditions left in the wake of Katrina.

Life in the Big Easy is not so easy anymore, and it probably will never be quite the same. As strong and proud as the people of NOLA are, they still need help from their fellow citizens.

It is not surprising that the Bush Administration would fail to deliver—that’s their trademark. But we can’t let them get away with this blatant neglect of fellow Americans who are trying to rebuild their lives. There is a petition telling Congress that two years is too long to neglect and ignore the effects of Katrina and that Congress must pass the Gulf Coast Recovery Act of 2007 , also known as the “Road Home Program“. To sign the petition, click on the video link at the end of my essay.

The bill provides desperately needed funds for affordable housing, guarantees the replacement of public housing units, and ensures that all those who wish to return home can do so. It also continues assistance for evacuees to make sure that they have safe, decent housing until they can return home. The bill was introduced by Sen. Michael Dodd, sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA, and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs, D-OH., and is gaining co-sponsors, including Senator Barack Obama.

An international people’s tribunal, spearheaded by legal activists trying to build a case under international law accusing the United States of human rights abuses during and after Katrina, has also been convened to take testimony from victims of Katrina.

There is progress in the Gulf, thanks to countless acts of courage and resourcefulness by citizens determined to rebuild. And there is still tremendous suffering—its persistence is a national disgrace. But, the message should be clear concerning the survivors of Katrina.

Don’t forget them.

LINKS:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050915-8.html

http://www.southernstudies.org/gulfblueprint.pdf

http://www.colorofchange.org

http://www.solvingpoverty.com

http://www.blackvoices.aol.com/katrina

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20070829/APN/708290545

http://english.people.com.cn/200703/08/eng20070308_355613.html

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/78xx/doc7877/hr1227.pdf

http://www.rules.house.gov/SpecialRules_details.aspx?NewsID=2557

http://wwwgovtrack.us/congressorg/issues/votes/?votenum=17&chamber=H&congress=1101