Life after Hurricane Katrina: How far have we come?
August 17, 2010
An abandoned Mississippi storefront a few weeks following Hurricane Katrina.
Five years ago, one of the worst storms in American history ravaged the gulf coast of the United States. Nearly 1,500 Americans lost their lives in the devastating wake of Hurricane Katrina. More than a million people were displaced as entire neighborhoods were flooded with water from the massive downpour and breached levees. It was an expensive storm with reports of more than $60 billion dollars of insured damage.
Refugees were evacuated from their own homes as the local and federal government tried to digest and the total impact this disaster had on the region as entire cities were essentially shut down. In the aftermath, the staffs of Feeding America member food banks and the national office headed down to the coast in response to the catastrophe. They were amazed by the unfathomable amount of destruction the gulf coast had endured.
Feeding America national office staff join relief efforts after the storm.
Over the next few weeks photographers, videographers and I will head back to the region to see what has changed and how far the affected cities have come. Our travels will take us to New Orleans — a city with more heart than most, a place where people can determine the neighborhood you were born in just by knowing your last name. Afterwards, it’s onto the coastal regions of Mississippi and Alabama, states that are now facing the consequences of the oil spill. We’ll visit food banks, agencies and individuals that survived Hurricane Katrina to learn what our food banks did for them then and what they’re doing now.
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Comments
When hurricane katrina hit I lived in the small Mississippi town of Bay Springs. To the best of my knowledge there were not any food banks close by. However, I am sure if there had been they would have been helpful. Mostly the town just banded together. The local churches cooked meals and invited whom ever that wanted to come to come eat. People donated food from their freezers because there was no power for about two weeks there was no way to keep the food cold. People figured it would be better for it to go to feed people in need than to go to waste. Feeding America is a great organization. The gulf coast was devestated after the hurrican, but for me the storm brought a happy ending. My husband was originally from Biloxi, MS and if he had not been displaced after the hurrican and relocated to Laurel, MS I probably would not have met him. He began the local community college where I too attended. That is where we met. Thank you for all that you do to help those in need.
Posted by Veronica Bond | August 20, 2010 at 4:09 PM
Thank you for taking the lead on shedding needed light on an area of our country that has gone through so much. Having seen the devastation and our nation’s response was very enlightening on a many levels. There were many moments of pride to see how many non-profits rose to the occasion to donate money, time, food, clothing and materials.
With so many events since Katrina; the continued war in the Middle East, the disaster in Haiti, Earth Quakes in Mexico, world financial crisis and civil atrocities in Africa, our attentions in our own back yard can be too easily over looked. Even with the largest oil spill in history affecting the same region, your efforts to update us on Life After Hurricane Katrina is truly important.
FeedItForward
Posted by Rene Flohr | August 20, 2010 at 5:02 PM
FeedItForwrad,
You’re welome. There are so many things going on in the world that we do sometimes forget that there are people suffering in our very own neighborhoods. The oil spill has put a strain on the gulf coast and its economy. Fisherman who use the gulf of mexico as a source of income are devestated because of the poluted water. My husband is in the oil field now and the oil field is our livelyhood, but it still does not take away from the fact that not only did 111 people lose their lives and families lost loved ones, it has caused the worst enviornmental disaster in years. Thanks for all that you do to feed america.
Posted by Veronica Bond | August 24, 2010 at 11:45 AM