Summary: Life After Hurricane Katrina

It is indisputable that the death and destruction that occurred following Hurricane Katrina was caused by the negligence of the federal government to provide critical aid following the storm. A lack of coordination and cooperation between the Louisiana state government and federal agencies allowed for the unnecessary devastation and loss of life the city of New Orleans has endured. Prior to the hurricane, New Orleans was a rapidly evolving city that was home to individuals of varying races, ethnicities, and places of origin. With real estate booming and a fiscally sound government, the city was projected for great success. As Mayor of New Orleans, I utilized my power to protect my citizens to the best of my ability. On August 27th, 2005,

The ineptitude of the USACE caused 18 feet flooding that would prevent those remaining in the city from accessing resources needed for survival. In the critical first 48 hours after Katrina, the federal government failed to deploy the National Guard or other forms of aid needed to rescue those who were trapped. As the federal government had declared there to be a natural disaster, I had entrusted them to provide necessary and swift assistance. My expectations were in dramatic contrast with reality. Despite daily pleas for relief intervention, the federal bureaucracy denied us emergency assistance for days. Conditions of the Superdome had become inhumane, thousands were held in captivity without food or water. Unfortunately, I was unable to give the relief that my people so desperately needed. The federal government has not only permitted Katrina to flood New Orleans through incompetency, but had allowed for the preventable suffering of its own citizens. I took the initiative to join on rescue missions, but this of course was not enough to effectively impact the city. Those most in need of aid were ignored: why is it that the impoverished black population of New Orleans is neglected while there is no hesitation to deploy troops