"Hurricane Katrina was the most catastrophic natural disaster in our nation's history and the lives lost will not be in vain as FEMA works to learn from the lessons of this unprecedented storm. This disaster has changed the face of the entire emergency management community, from the international and federal levels to state and local levels; we must all embrace the lessons from Katrina and improve our capabilities. We must remember the devastation wrought by Katrina and remove any complacency with regard to preparing ourselves and our loved ones for disasters." - David Paulison, FEMA Director
Hurricane Katrina, One Year Later
Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive - and costly - natural disaster in U.S. history. Though the unprecedented magnitude of the storm slowed the initial response, the year since has been highlighted by an equally unprecedented recovery effort.