At 5:10 AM on August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina made its second landfall on American soil near Buras, Louisiana, obliterating almost everything in its wake, from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama. Five years later we’re still recovering.
You’ve probably been inundated with Katrina memorials, specials, and documentaries this past week. The media (and many regular folks), especially those who spent time in New Orleans during and after Katrina, don’t want you to forget what happened. It’s not about how much Katrina cost ($81 billion). The economic factor is minimal compared to the 1,836 people who lost their lives. It’s about all the families who returned to New Orleans and all the towns along the Mississippi Gulf Coast to rebuild their lives. It’s about making sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again. Hurricanes happen. All of us along the Coast know that. But what we saw in New Orleans in the days after the wind subsided was unnecessary and inhumane. So we beg you to remember what happened. Remember so it doesn’t happen again.
