Hurricane Katrina: What Government Is Doing

August 29th marks the 1-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina battering the Gulf Coast of the United States. Katrina, followed by Rita one month later, were two of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded in the nation’s history. The storms had a massive physical impact on the land, affecting 90,000 square miles – an area the size of Great Britain. Over 80 percent of the city of New Orleans flooded – an area seven times the size of Manhattan. More than 1.5 million people were directly affected and more than 800,000 citizens were forced to live outside of their homes – the largest displacement of people since the great Dust Bowl migrations of the 1930s. Since the storms hit, government, private and voluntary organizations have worked in concert to help rebuild the region. President Bush continues to follow through with the Federal commitment to do what it takes to help residents of the Gulf Coast rebuild their lives in the wake of this disaster, with $110.6 billion in Federal aid alone going towards relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts. Below is a partial list of the work Federal agencies have accomplished to help not only get the region back on its feet but also to provide for a stronger and better future for the residents of the Gulf Coast.