Hurricane Katrina
Gulf Coast Still Hurting Two Years Later
On the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, recovery is slow as federal funds and insurance money still have not arrived.
FEMA Knew of Toxic Trailers for Over a Year, Didn’t Tell Residents
Testing of FEMA trailers from Hurricane Katrina revealed formaldehyde levels up to 400 times the normal amount for human exposure; new documentation reveals that FEMA knew all along.
Church Gives House to Katrina Victims, Who Then Sell It and Leave
The congregation of a Memphis church thought they were doing something extraordinary to help Hurricane Katrina victims by giving them a house free and clear—but once the papers were signed, the couple sold the house for a profit and went back to New Orleans.
Uncivilized Beasts and Shameless Hellions
A recounting of the Hurricane Katrina aftermath by NPR correspondent John Burnett...
Thanks to Katrina Evacuees, Houston’s Homicide Rate Increases
After Hurricane Katrina struck nearly a year ago, Houston, TX, took in over 150,000 evacuees—more than any other city in the country. But Houston discovered that lending a helping hand has caused crime rates to rise.
What have been the most significant environmental impacts of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans?
Perhaps the longest-lasting impact of Hurricane Katrina was its environmental damage that, in real terms, has mainly to do with public health.
As Thousands of Gulf Coast Residents Left, Hispanics Moved In
The twin hurricanes Katrina and Rita drove nearly a half a million people from their homes along the Gulf Coast when whole communities were wiped away. But in the wake of those storms, tens of thousands of Hispanics moved in.
Hurricane Katrina Devastation Tours Selling Out Like Beignets
Gray Line Tours in New Orleans is now offering tours of the bleak devastation wrought by the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina last year. And the tour buses are filling up to capacity.
Free Gulliver: Six Swift Lessons in Life Planning
Freeing Gulliver in the Wake of Katrina - As things slowly get back to normal in his hometown of New Orleans, life planner Tripp Friedler continues to spread his philosophy: breaking through all the little strings that tie you down, pursuing your passion, and finding fulfillment.
Louis Farrakahn Says Government Conspiracy Flooded New Orleans
Outspoken Islamic leader Louis Farrakhan has suggested that the American government might have blown a hole in the levee surrounding Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, in an attempt to flood poor black people out of the hurricane-ravaged city.
Did Katrina Free Firing Flippers?
Among the tales of destruction floating through the media following Hurricane Katrina’s destruction is a bizarre story about attack dolphins trained by the US military being swept out to open water where they may pose a threat to civilians.
Snooty Ocala Subdivision Outlaws Hurricane Katrina Evacuees
In an amazingly tacky show of inhumanity, an Ocala neighborhood has told its residents that they can’t offer temporary housing to families who have been left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.
The Deadly History of Hurricanes and Lessons That Must Be Learned
Most people think that if they’re trapped in a hurricane, they’ll be killed by a flying tree or a collapsing roof. But as history has proven time and again, the deadliest storms have killed the most people with water—yet the lessons of history are being ignored.
Inviting Hurricane Evacuees Into Your Home May Prove Risky
The kindness of opening up your home to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina is an extremely generous thing to do—but be sure that your offer is not taken advantage of.
No Surprise: FEMA Chief Brown Couldn’t Even Oversee Horse Shows
A not-so-surprising revelation came to light this week that FEMA’s bungling director, Michael Brown, had been asked to leave his previous job and had no qualifications for the job he now holds.
Rich and Famous Also Affected By Hurricane Katrina
While many celebrities with ties to New Orleans and other areas along the Gulf coast have made public expressions of sympathy about the devastation, some have been directly affected by it.
Stars Benefit Hurricane Katrina
NBC, MTV, and BET are just a few of the networks that are participating in benefit concerts to help aid Hurricane Katrina’s victims.
Fema Official Regrets Fake Press Conference
By the standards of Fema, the US government agency that notoriously botched the relief effort after Hurricane Katrina, the attempt at news management following the California wildfires seemed relatively benign.
Youngest Governor for Louisiana
Louisiana elected the son of an Indian immigrant as governor yesterday as the fallout from Hurricane Katrina continued to dominate the state. Bobby Jindal, 36, becomes the youngest state governor in the US and the first non-white governor of Louisiana since the 1870s.
Relatives Demand Justice As Police Go on Trial Over Katrina Killings
Ronald Madison stayed on in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina - he could not bear to leave behind the family dogs, a beloved pair of dachshunds called Bobbi and Sushi. It cost him his life.
New Orleans Sues Us Army Corps for $77bn Over Katrina
New Orleans has filed a claim for $77bn (£40bn) in damages against the US army corps of engineers for building levees incapable of withstanding Hurricane Katrina, leading to the devastation of large parts of the city.
The Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast Needs to Be a Top Priority
Hurricane Katrina devastated large parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, leaving a million people homeless.
Where Multimedia And Tragedy Meet In A Theatrical Event
The Underlying Issues Surrounding Hurricane Katrina Are Still Lingering
Foley's Folly Could Cost Republicans Dear
Things were already looking grim for the Republicans. Hurricane Katrina, high petrol prices, internal divisions over 'war on terror' torture and phone-tapping, and endless bad news from Iraq all pointed to a drubbing in next month's mid-term congressional elections. By Simon Tisdall
Bush Takes 'full Responsibility' for Katrina Response
George Bush today said he took "full responsibility" for the US government's poor response to Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast a year ago today.
Bush Admits New Orleans Failures
A penitent George Bush marked the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans yesterday, acknowledging that his government's response to the devastating storm had been woefully inadequate.
The Mourning After: Katrina and 11 September
When a family endures a tragedy, the elders must guide its surviving members through the mourning process. When the tragedy engulfs a nation (as in Katrina and 9-11), our national leaders must rise to the occasion.
Spike Lee Turns Cameras on New Orleans
· Hurricane Katrina film gets world premiere · Hailed as most essential work of director's career
Gone With the Wind
Since hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans almost a year ago, the population has halved. Amid the debris and regret, Gary Younge finds a city losing its soul.
Katrina Hospital Staff Accused of Killing Patients
A doctor and two nurses have been charged with deliberately killing patients stranded in a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city.
Hospital Staff Accused of Killing Patients After Katrina Struck
· Doctor and two nurses charged with murder · Hurricane survivors 'given lethal morphine doses'
Fraudsters Stole $1bn of Hurricane Katrina Relief Cash, Congress Told
· Agency's failings allowed 'assault on taxpayer' · Money spent on jewellery, champagne and porn
Fraudsters Steal $1bn of Katrina Funds
About $1bn (£542m) in relief meant for victims of Hurricane Katrina was lost to fraud, with bogus claimants spending the money on Hawaiian holidays, football tickets, diamond jewellery and Girls Gone Wild porn videos, the US Congress was told on Wednesday.
Post-Katrina Wetlands Restoration May Slow Down Powerful Storms
The restoration of tropical and subtropical wetlands will help buffer the effects of future hurricanes in those regions.
Teenagers Volunteer in Droves for Katrina Relief
Teenagers from around the United States are among the many volunteers who have offered their time and energy for post-Katrina relief efforts in the Gulf Coast states.
A Deaf Man Spouting
A videotape of Bush's briefing before Hurricane Katrina exposes him as out of touch with reality. By Sidney Blumenthal
Bush Was Given Katrina Warning, Tapes Reveal
· President told of 'grave concern' about flooding · Aides say evidence shows White House 'engaged'.
Katrina, The Aftermath 6 Months Plus
Senator Mary Landrieu, wants New Orleans to be reconstructed by its own residents, with one exception, that the cost sharing be waived and the federal government to foot the whole bill for its reconstruction. Cost? A modest $250 billion. Cost per American household approximately $1900. on the low side ,depending on how much your income is, from the sound of it, which means the wealthier you are, well, you get the picture.
Business As Usual - Almost - As King of the Zulus Keeps Mardi Gras Alive
Devastated and broke after Hurricane Katrina, city lets the good times roll again.
Hurricane Katrina Response Branded National Failure By Republican Inquiry
· Bush and his homeland security chief singled out · Details leaked as New Orleans enjoys parade
White House Knew Scale of Katrina Disaster From Start, Official Reveals
Senior aides to President George Bush were informed on the day Hurricane Katrina hit that their 'worst nightmare' had befallen New Orleans...
New Orleans May Lose 80% of Its Black People, Says Katrina Study
New Orleans could lose 80% of its African American population in the wake of Hurricane Katrina unless there is a special effort to help poor people return to the city, says a report on the storm's impact.
White House 'stonewalling Katrina Response Inquiry'
US senators yesterday accused President Bush of stonewalling a congressional inquiry into the government response last year to Hurricane Katrina, despite earlier promises to cooperate.
Katrina Showed God Was Mad at America, Says New Orleans Mayor
The mayor of New Orleans, who excoriated the Bush administration for its indifference to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, was again involved in controversy yesterday when he said the disaster was a sign of God's wrath at America, and black Americans in particular.
Strategic Thinking or the Lack of It - Hurricane Katrina and the Levee System
Strategic Thinking is something everyone can and should be doing.
Drowned City Cuts Its Poor Adrift
The waters have receded but the mainly black, low-income citizens of New Orleans are now the victims of rising rents, forced evictions and plans that favour the better off, reports Peter Beaumont.
Katrina and Genocide? Troubling Parallels Considered
Hurricane Katrina certainly was not a planned event, but questions continue over the lack of preparation and the criminally negligent response by federal agencies. Was their response one of planned genocide?
SAVING NEW ORLEANS: In Defense of Huey Long & Mayor Ray Nagin
Three months after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, a mountain of evidence has laid blame on the federal government. Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco are vindicated. If New Orleans can be saved, what we need now is a rebirth of the spirit of Louisiana's Kingfish: Huey Long.
Laughing Stock of Katrina Makes Disaster His Business
Michael Brown, the bureaucrat who headed America's response to Hurricane Katrina and himself became a symbol of man-made calamity, is going into the disaster management business.
Katrina Prejudice or Not
Katrina caused more than just the destruction of New Orleans, it re-opened old wounds that some thought were buried and long gone.
Since Katrina, the Environment Is Front-Page News
Katrina and other recent natural disasters have become grim lessons in the consequences of failing to protect the earth's natural environment.
It Could Have Been Me- But For The Grace Of God
None of us know what the future holds, not even the events of the next hour of our life. If anything good can come from the Hurricane Katrina disaster perhaps it would be that people would stop and evaluate their life and review what is really important.
Katrina 'sent By God to Punish New Orleans Gays'
A Democratic Unionist councillor who said hurricane Katrina was sent to the US by God to punish the New Orleans gay community yesterday stood by his views despite calls for his resignation.
They Cared: The Story of Delta Air Lines and Katrina
A powerful lesson learned from Katrina. Read how a major airline put lives ahead of profit.
Storm Over Emergency Boss and His Wardrobe
As Hurricane Katrina was laying waste to New Orleans, US federal emergency boss Michael Brown had more pressing concerns: his wardrobe.
Farrakhan Attacks Katrina 'criminal Neglect'
Louis Farrakhan, leader of Nation of Islam, accused the US government of "criminal neglect" for its slow response to Hurricane Katrina in a speech to mark the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March.
Katrina Uncovers the Forgotten Queues at America's Soup Kitchens
Community leaders fear Washington will soon forget the poor millions.
Allegations of Mercy Killing in Hurricane Aftermath
The Louisiana attorney general is investigating claims that staff at a New Orleans hospital may have engaged in mercy killings of frail patients in the days after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city and conditions in the facility deteriorated.
US Rejects British Hurricane Relief Meals Over Bse Fears
More than 400,000 packaged meals sent by Britain to feed victims of Hurricane Katrina at a cost of nearly £2.7m have been sitting in a warehouse in Arkansas because of fears of mad cow disease and a long-standing ban on British beef.
US Spending £6m a Day on Hotels for Hurricane Katrina Evacuees
Hotel bill grows as officials struggle to meet a deadline imposed by George Bush to move all evacuees out of emergency shelters by the middle of October.
The Day The Levy Broke
For victims, survivors and advocates of Hurricane Katrina...
First Jobs Fall in Two Years Blamed on Katrina
The US economy shed jobs for the first time in more than two years last month as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, but the drop in employment was not as bad as many analysts had expected.
Penniless New Orleans Fires 3,000
With their lives thrown into turmoil by Hurricane Katrina, the news has got worse for 3,000 New Orleans employees, who were fired after the city's government said it was no longer able to pay them.
New Orleans Lays Off 3,000 Workers
Around 3,000 city workers in New Orleans are to lose their jobs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it was announced yesterday.
Holiday Help for Hurricane Victims of Katrina, Rita, etc.
A housing site set up to help hurricane families has launched Operation Holiday and sponsors are needed to adopt hurricane families this season.
Hurricane Katrina/Rita
We are an affluent society-a society that cares more for externals than inner values. If a person lives in the right area, wears the "right" clothes or shoes, and possesses enough of the "right" things, anyone outside this comfort zone is an outsider.
Fema Blamed for Katrina Housing Delay
A month after Hurricane Katrina, US authorities have placed just 109 Louisiana families in temporary housing.
Outcry Over $236m Contract to House Hurricane Survivors in Cruise Liners
Millions of dollars of emergency aid have been wasted on housing evacuees from Hurricane Katrina in half empty cruise liners, it emerged yesterday.
Katrina Relief Contracts Come Under Investigation
Billions of dollars of reconstruction contracts awarded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are being investigated amid concerns of cronyism and abuse.
Hurricane Rita & The Lessons Of Katrina
As Hurricane Rita bore down on the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana, the president lectured a gathering of reporters on the progress of the war in Iraq. As Rita slammed into Lake Charles, Louisiana, it was apparent that some lessons had been learned but the president remains oblivious.
Tanya Fermin Offers Relief Aid To Victims of Katrina
There is no other place in the world like the United States...
Help for Hurricane Katrina Survivors
During this very difficult time, many Americans will face overbearing challenges. OfficialDisasterRelief is here to provide assistance and referrals to agencies dedicated to rendering the necessary support for events like this.
Life Lessons From Hurricane Katrina
The aftermath of a big disaster like Hurricane Katrina has many life lessons to teach us. Here are just a few of them.
US conservatives round on Bush over Katrina aid pledges
· 'Shocking expansion of federal role' dismays right · Doubts over wisdom of rebuilding New Orleans
Bush Vows New Orleans 'will Rise Again'
The US president, George Bush, today accepted responsibility for his administration's failure to respond adequately to Hurricane Katrina.
CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE: An Era Of Accountability
Sixteen days after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and laid waste to New Orleans, the president takes stage at Jackson Square to accept responsibility -- but his admission lacks conviction and his solution lacks guts. If he wants accountability, let him take full account.
A Long Way From Home
Some of the evacuees from hurricane-ravaged New Orleans ended up in Salt Lake City, where they feel like refugees in a foreign country, writes Dan Glaister.
Nursing Home Charged Over Katrina Deaths
Criminal charges were filed yesterday against the owners of a nursing home where 34 patients were killed by Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters. Meanwhile, the death toll in Louisiana from the hurricane jumped to 423, a large rise from Monday's figure of 279. The overall death toll rose to...
Katrina Failings Were My Fault, Bush Admits for First Time
· President says hurricane exposed serious problems · Tests planned for 44 bodies found in hospital
Race Not an Issue in Katrina Disaster, Says Bush
· President uses city tour to defend federal recovery · Beleaguered emergency services chief finally quits steps down
How America Rides the Storms
The US economy is constantly being written off, but it did recover after 9/11. Larry Elliott looks at the effect Hurricane Katrina is likely to have.
Bush Summons Spirit of 9/11 to Help Repair His Hurricane-damaged Ratings
· White House talks of reconstruction 'tsar' · Rescuers say flood toll may be lower than feared
Prescott Links Global Warming to Katrina
John Prescott sparked controversy yesterday by linking America's refusal to tackle climate change to the devastation of the New Orleans hurricane.
Disaster Chief Loses Hurricane Relief Role After Cv Allegations
Michael Brown, the head of the Bush administration's disaster relief effort, was relieved yesterday of his role coordinating the response to Hurricane Katrina, after allegations that he had embroidered his professional record and had no emergency management experience.
Disaster Chief Taken Off Katrina Job
Senior relief officials accused of being political placemen as Colin Powell criticises the US government's response.
Katrina: Political Row Grows
The political storm blown up by Hurricane Katrina was today growing as police officers in New Orleans prepared to make the first forcible removals of residents refusing to leave.
The Chasm Between Us
Katrina has exposed the scale of US inequality, but we have little reason to be smug about our own social divide. Polly Toynbee
Bush Names Day of Mourning for Katrina Victims
President George Bush yesterday announced a national day of mourning for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as authorities in New Orleans began the grim task of searching for corpses in the ravaged city with 25,000 body bags at the ready.
Katrina
A poem about the impact of this hurricane on the disadvantaged…
Louisiana Ready With 25,000 Body Bags
Emergency officials in Louisiana have 25,000 body bags at hand in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it was revealed last night. Asked if the authorities expected so many bodies, a spokesman for the state's department of health and hospitals said: "We don't know what to expect ... It...
Mayor Orders New Orleans Evacuation
New Orleans authorities today began to forcibly evacuate the 10,000 residents refusing to move more than a week after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of the city. Mayor Ray Nagin yesterday gave orders that only relief workers could remain behind for the clean-up, and 5,000 paratroopers were...
Cheney Called in As Bush Says He Will Lead His Own Inquiry Into Katrina
President Bush, facing a political crisis over the government's handling of relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, announced he would lead his own investigation of what went wrong.
Damage Exposure Will 'wake America Up'
The devastation set to be revealed by Hurricane Katrina's receding floodwaters will shock America, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin predicted today as military engineers plugged one of the biggest gaps in the city's levee system. "It's going to be awful and it's going to wake the nation up...
Bush Fails to Stem Anger
President George Bush returned to Louisiana yesterday to shore up both the relief effort and his embattled presidency as the death toll a week after Hurricane Katrina was predicted to rise as high as 10,000.
The Financial Lessons of Hurricane Katrina
Tens of thousands of people will have to survive over the next months with no savings, no homes, and no jobs. Financial literacy and preparation is important in times of hardship and applies to everyone no matter the cause of the disaster to prevent foreclosure and bankruptcy.
Superpower Failed Miserably
Lesson can be learnt from the New Orleans but is anybody listening?
Flood Took Disaster Agency's Experts By Surprise
Since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast last Monday, Americans have had a new way to spell failure: Fema. It stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Bush Sends Marines As Flood Fury Grows
President George Bush ordered 7,000 elite airborne troops and marines into New Orleans and the devastated Gulf Coast yesterday to try to bolster the stumbling flood relief effort and salvage the reputation of his presidency.
COLOR OR CLASS? Charges of Racism in Disaster Relief
It is now universally acknowledged that government response to the New Orleans tsunami was tragically inept. Those bearing witness to the ongoing horror could not but observe that the vast majority of the abandoned were black. Inevitably, the question had to be asked: Did race play a role in the government's failure?
Anti-US Alliance: Euro-Ecologists and Islamic Extremists on Hurricane Katrina
In front of Katrina, we are all Americans! Denouncing the paradoxical criticism expressed by the German Environmental Minister, Juergen Trittin, we demand the punishment of Muhammad Youssef Al Malaif, Director of the ‘Research Center’ of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Religious Affairs, who fomented Hatred, by presenting Katrina as 'God's soldier and good terrorist'.
Katrina Katrina - The Fix is Out
How do we fix it? Hurricane Katrina Disaster Reviewed in light of Disaster survival options and Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts including Donations
Petrol to Hit £1 a Litre After Us Buys Up Supplies
Motorists were warned last night that petrol prices seem certain to pass £1 a litre within days after Hurricane Katrina wiped out many of the oil refineries on the US Gulf coast.
Clinton and Bush Snr to Lead Aid Appeal
Former presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush Snr are to lead the fund-raising campaign for Hurricane Katrina's huge humanitarian effort, reprising a role they played with some success after the Asian tsunami.
Katrina Comes Home to Roost
President Bush is to blame for the scale of the disaster as a result of his administration's policies and actions. Sidney Blumenthal
ZERO TOLERANCE: Bush Gets Tough as New Orleans Suffers
Three days into the horror of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we see nothing that compares to the response amassed for the Indian Ocean tsunami and the White House is still making plans, calculating priorities and preparing to establish order in hell.
Bush Pledges Historic Relief Effort
· Shots fired at military helicopters · Survivors moved to Texas · President warns against looting
Bush Tries to Cap Surge in Global Energy Prices
President George Bush yesterday ordered the release of crude oil from US strategic reserves as the White House sought to prevent the spike in global energy prices caused by Hurricane Katrina damaging the world's biggest economy.
Thousands Feared Lost in Us Storm
· New Orleans to be abandoned · Threat of looting and disease
US Rescuers in Race Against Time
Rescue workers were racing against time today to reach survivors of Hurricane Katrina, which is feared to have killed hundreds of people along the Gulf of Mexico.
New Orleans Rescuers in Race Against Time
Rescue workers in New Orleans were racing against time today to reach survivors of Hurricane Katrina, which is feared to have killed hundreds of people along the Gulf of Mexico.
HURRICANE KATRINA: Prayers For New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina may not be as catastrophic as anticipated but it is far, far worse than at first reported. The levees of Lake Pontchartrain are giving way. Martial Law has been declared. Total evacuation is being considered. New Orleans is under siege.
Katrina Death Toll 'rises to 80'
Up to 80 people could have been killed by Hurricane Katrina in one Mississippi county alone, local authorities said today.
Oil Prices Near Record High in Wake of Katrina
Oil prices today remained at $68 (£38) a barrel as traders waited for an assessment of the damage to production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Katrina battered the region.
Katrina Death Toll Reaches 55
At least 55 people are reported to have been killed as Hurricane Katrina lashed the US coast on the Gulf of Mexico in what could prove to be the most expensive storm in US history. Mississippi was the state worst hit, with 22ft (6.6 metres) of flood water and 50 people confirmed dead in...
Oil Prices Close to Record As Katrina Shuts Down Production
Oil and gas prices stayed close to record highs yesterday as energy firms waited anxiously to begin assessing the damage wreaked by hurricane Katrina on the most important oil-producing region in the United States.
New Orleans Deluged As Katrina Batters Coast
Some residents who chose to stay reported stranded or dead.
By the standards of Fema, the US government agency that notoriously botched the relief effort after Hurricane Katrina, the attempt at news management following the California wildfires seemed relatively benign.
Youngest Governor for Louisiana
Louisiana elected the son of an Indian immigrant as governor yesterday as the fallout from Hurricane Katrina continued to dominate the state. Bobby Jindal, 36, becomes the youngest state governor in the US and the first non-white governor of Louisiana since the 1870s.
Relatives Demand Justice As Police Go on Trial Over Katrina Killings
Ronald Madison stayed on in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina - he could not bear to leave behind the family dogs, a beloved pair of dachshunds called Bobbi and Sushi. It cost him his life.
New Orleans Sues Us Army Corps for $77bn Over Katrina
New Orleans has filed a claim for $77bn (£40bn) in damages against the US army corps of engineers for building levees incapable of withstanding Hurricane Katrina, leading to the devastation of large parts of the city.
The Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast Needs to Be a Top Priority
Hurricane Katrina devastated large parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, leaving a million people homeless.
Where Multimedia And Tragedy Meet In A Theatrical Event
The Underlying Issues Surrounding Hurricane Katrina Are Still Lingering
Foley's Folly Could Cost Republicans Dear
Things were already looking grim for the Republicans. Hurricane Katrina, high petrol prices, internal divisions over 'war on terror' torture and phone-tapping, and endless bad news from Iraq all pointed to a drubbing in next month's mid-term congressional elections. By Simon Tisdall
Bush Takes 'full Responsibility' for Katrina Response
George Bush today said he took "full responsibility" for the US government's poor response to Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast a year ago today.
Bush Admits New Orleans Failures
A penitent George Bush marked the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans yesterday, acknowledging that his government's response to the devastating storm had been woefully inadequate.
The Mourning After: Katrina and 11 September
When a family endures a tragedy, the elders must guide its surviving members through the mourning process. When the tragedy engulfs a nation (as in Katrina and 9-11), our national leaders must rise to the occasion.
Spike Lee Turns Cameras on New Orleans
· Hurricane Katrina film gets world premiere · Hailed as most essential work of director's career
Gone With the Wind
Since hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans almost a year ago, the population has halved. Amid the debris and regret, Gary Younge finds a city losing its soul.
Katrina Hospital Staff Accused of Killing Patients
A doctor and two nurses have been charged with deliberately killing patients stranded in a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city.
Hospital Staff Accused of Killing Patients After Katrina Struck
· Doctor and two nurses charged with murder · Hurricane survivors 'given lethal morphine doses'
Fraudsters Stole $1bn of Hurricane Katrina Relief Cash, Congress Told
· Agency's failings allowed 'assault on taxpayer' · Money spent on jewellery, champagne and porn
Fraudsters Steal $1bn of Katrina Funds
About $1bn (£542m) in relief meant for victims of Hurricane Katrina was lost to fraud, with bogus claimants spending the money on Hawaiian holidays, football tickets, diamond jewellery and Girls Gone Wild porn videos, the US Congress was told on Wednesday.
Post-Katrina Wetlands Restoration May Slow Down Powerful Storms
The restoration of tropical and subtropical wetlands will help buffer the effects of future hurricanes in those regions.
Teenagers Volunteer in Droves for Katrina Relief
Teenagers from around the United States are among the many volunteers who have offered their time and energy for post-Katrina relief efforts in the Gulf Coast states.
A Deaf Man Spouting
A videotape of Bush's briefing before Hurricane Katrina exposes him as out of touch with reality. By Sidney Blumenthal
Bush Was Given Katrina Warning, Tapes Reveal
· President told of 'grave concern' about flooding · Aides say evidence shows White House 'engaged'.
Katrina, The Aftermath 6 Months Plus
Senator Mary Landrieu, wants New Orleans to be reconstructed by its own residents, with one exception, that the cost sharing be waived and the federal government to foot the whole bill for its reconstruction. Cost? A modest $250 billion. Cost per American household approximately $1900. on the low side ,depending on how much your income is, from the sound of it, which means the wealthier you are, well, you get the picture.
Business As Usual - Almost - As King of the Zulus Keeps Mardi Gras Alive
Devastated and broke after Hurricane Katrina, city lets the good times roll again.
Hurricane Katrina Response Branded National Failure By Republican Inquiry
· Bush and his homeland security chief singled out · Details leaked as New Orleans enjoys parade
White House Knew Scale of Katrina Disaster From Start, Official Reveals
Senior aides to President George Bush were informed on the day Hurricane Katrina hit that their 'worst nightmare' had befallen New Orleans...
New Orleans May Lose 80% of Its Black People, Says Katrina Study
New Orleans could lose 80% of its African American population in the wake of Hurricane Katrina unless there is a special effort to help poor people return to the city, says a report on the storm's impact.
White House 'stonewalling Katrina Response Inquiry'
US senators yesterday accused President Bush of stonewalling a congressional inquiry into the government response last year to Hurricane Katrina, despite earlier promises to cooperate.
Katrina Showed God Was Mad at America, Says New Orleans Mayor
The mayor of New Orleans, who excoriated the Bush administration for its indifference to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, was again involved in controversy yesterday when he said the disaster was a sign of God's wrath at America, and black Americans in particular.
Strategic Thinking or the Lack of It - Hurricane Katrina and the Levee System
Strategic Thinking is something everyone can and should be doing.
Drowned City Cuts Its Poor Adrift
The waters have receded but the mainly black, low-income citizens of New Orleans are now the victims of rising rents, forced evictions and plans that favour the better off, reports Peter Beaumont.
Katrina and Genocide? Troubling Parallels Considered
Hurricane Katrina certainly was not a planned event, but questions continue over the lack of preparation and the criminally negligent response by federal agencies. Was their response one of planned genocide?
SAVING NEW ORLEANS: In Defense of Huey Long & Mayor Ray Nagin
Three months after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, a mountain of evidence has laid blame on the federal government. Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco are vindicated. If New Orleans can be saved, what we need now is a rebirth of the spirit of Louisiana's Kingfish: Huey Long.
Laughing Stock of Katrina Makes Disaster His Business
Michael Brown, the bureaucrat who headed America's response to Hurricane Katrina and himself became a symbol of man-made calamity, is going into the disaster management business.
Katrina Prejudice or Not
Katrina caused more than just the destruction of New Orleans, it re-opened old wounds that some thought were buried and long gone.
Since Katrina, the Environment Is Front-Page News
Katrina and other recent natural disasters have become grim lessons in the consequences of failing to protect the earth's natural environment.
It Could Have Been Me- But For The Grace Of God
None of us know what the future holds, not even the events of the next hour of our life. If anything good can come from the Hurricane Katrina disaster perhaps it would be that people would stop and evaluate their life and review what is really important.
Katrina 'sent By God to Punish New Orleans Gays'
A Democratic Unionist councillor who said hurricane Katrina was sent to the US by God to punish the New Orleans gay community yesterday stood by his views despite calls for his resignation.
They Cared: The Story of Delta Air Lines and Katrina
A powerful lesson learned from Katrina. Read how a major airline put lives ahead of profit.
Storm Over Emergency Boss and His Wardrobe
As Hurricane Katrina was laying waste to New Orleans, US federal emergency boss Michael Brown had more pressing concerns: his wardrobe.
Farrakhan Attacks Katrina 'criminal Neglect'
Louis Farrakhan, leader of Nation of Islam, accused the US government of "criminal neglect" for its slow response to Hurricane Katrina in a speech to mark the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March.
Katrina Uncovers the Forgotten Queues at America's Soup Kitchens
Community leaders fear Washington will soon forget the poor millions.
Allegations of Mercy Killing in Hurricane Aftermath
The Louisiana attorney general is investigating claims that staff at a New Orleans hospital may have engaged in mercy killings of frail patients in the days after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city and conditions in the facility deteriorated.
US Rejects British Hurricane Relief Meals Over Bse Fears
More than 400,000 packaged meals sent by Britain to feed victims of Hurricane Katrina at a cost of nearly £2.7m have been sitting in a warehouse in Arkansas because of fears of mad cow disease and a long-standing ban on British beef.
US Spending £6m a Day on Hotels for Hurricane Katrina Evacuees
Hotel bill grows as officials struggle to meet a deadline imposed by George Bush to move all evacuees out of emergency shelters by the middle of October.
The Day The Levy Broke
For victims, survivors and advocates of Hurricane Katrina...
First Jobs Fall in Two Years Blamed on Katrina
The US economy shed jobs for the first time in more than two years last month as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, but the drop in employment was not as bad as many analysts had expected.
Penniless New Orleans Fires 3,000
With their lives thrown into turmoil by Hurricane Katrina, the news has got worse for 3,000 New Orleans employees, who were fired after the city's government said it was no longer able to pay them.
New Orleans Lays Off 3,000 Workers
Around 3,000 city workers in New Orleans are to lose their jobs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it was announced yesterday.
Holiday Help for Hurricane Victims of Katrina, Rita, etc.
A housing site set up to help hurricane families has launched Operation Holiday and sponsors are needed to adopt hurricane families this season.
Hurricane Katrina/Rita
We are an affluent society-a society that cares more for externals than inner values. If a person lives in the right area, wears the "right" clothes or shoes, and possesses enough of the "right" things, anyone outside this comfort zone is an outsider.
Fema Blamed for Katrina Housing Delay
A month after Hurricane Katrina, US authorities have placed just 109 Louisiana families in temporary housing.
Outcry Over $236m Contract to House Hurricane Survivors in Cruise Liners
Millions of dollars of emergency aid have been wasted on housing evacuees from Hurricane Katrina in half empty cruise liners, it emerged yesterday.
Katrina Relief Contracts Come Under Investigation
Billions of dollars of reconstruction contracts awarded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are being investigated amid concerns of cronyism and abuse.
Hurricane Rita & The Lessons Of Katrina
As Hurricane Rita bore down on the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana, the president lectured a gathering of reporters on the progress of the war in Iraq. As Rita slammed into Lake Charles, Louisiana, it was apparent that some lessons had been learned but the president remains oblivious.
Tanya Fermin Offers Relief Aid To Victims of Katrina
There is no other place in the world like the United States...
Help for Hurricane Katrina Survivors
During this very difficult time, many Americans will face overbearing challenges. OfficialDisasterRelief is here to provide assistance and referrals to agencies dedicated to rendering the necessary support for events like this.
Life Lessons From Hurricane Katrina
The aftermath of a big disaster like Hurricane Katrina has many life lessons to teach us. Here are just a few of them.
US conservatives round on Bush over Katrina aid pledges
· 'Shocking expansion of federal role' dismays right · Doubts over wisdom of rebuilding New Orleans
Bush Vows New Orleans 'will Rise Again'
The US president, George Bush, today accepted responsibility for his administration's failure to respond adequately to Hurricane Katrina.
CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE: An Era Of Accountability
Sixteen days after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and laid waste to New Orleans, the president takes stage at Jackson Square to accept responsibility -- but his admission lacks conviction and his solution lacks guts. If he wants accountability, let him take full account.
A Long Way From Home
Some of the evacuees from hurricane-ravaged New Orleans ended up in Salt Lake City, where they feel like refugees in a foreign country, writes Dan Glaister.
Nursing Home Charged Over Katrina Deaths
Criminal charges were filed yesterday against the owners of a nursing home where 34 patients were killed by Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters. Meanwhile, the death toll in Louisiana from the hurricane jumped to 423, a large rise from Monday's figure of 279. The overall death toll rose to...
Katrina Failings Were My Fault, Bush Admits for First Time
· President says hurricane exposed serious problems · Tests planned for 44 bodies found in hospital
Race Not an Issue in Katrina Disaster, Says Bush
· President uses city tour to defend federal recovery · Beleaguered emergency services chief finally quits steps down
How America Rides the Storms
The US economy is constantly being written off, but it did recover after 9/11. Larry Elliott looks at the effect Hurricane Katrina is likely to have.
Bush Summons Spirit of 9/11 to Help Repair His Hurricane-damaged Ratings
· White House talks of reconstruction 'tsar' · Rescuers say flood toll may be lower than feared
Prescott Links Global Warming to Katrina
John Prescott sparked controversy yesterday by linking America's refusal to tackle climate change to the devastation of the New Orleans hurricane.
Disaster Chief Loses Hurricane Relief Role After Cv Allegations
Michael Brown, the head of the Bush administration's disaster relief effort, was relieved yesterday of his role coordinating the response to Hurricane Katrina, after allegations that he had embroidered his professional record and had no emergency management experience.
Disaster Chief Taken Off Katrina Job
Senior relief officials accused of being political placemen as Colin Powell criticises the US government's response.
Katrina: Political Row Grows
The political storm blown up by Hurricane Katrina was today growing as police officers in New Orleans prepared to make the first forcible removals of residents refusing to leave.
The Chasm Between Us
Katrina has exposed the scale of US inequality, but we have little reason to be smug about our own social divide. Polly Toynbee
Bush Names Day of Mourning for Katrina Victims
President George Bush yesterday announced a national day of mourning for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as authorities in New Orleans began the grim task of searching for corpses in the ravaged city with 25,000 body bags at the ready.
Katrina
A poem about the impact of this hurricane on the disadvantaged…
Louisiana Ready With 25,000 Body Bags
Emergency officials in Louisiana have 25,000 body bags at hand in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it was revealed last night. Asked if the authorities expected so many bodies, a spokesman for the state's department of health and hospitals said: "We don't know what to expect ... It...
Mayor Orders New Orleans Evacuation
New Orleans authorities today began to forcibly evacuate the 10,000 residents refusing to move more than a week after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of the city. Mayor Ray Nagin yesterday gave orders that only relief workers could remain behind for the clean-up, and 5,000 paratroopers were...
Cheney Called in As Bush Says He Will Lead His Own Inquiry Into Katrina
President Bush, facing a political crisis over the government's handling of relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, announced he would lead his own investigation of what went wrong.
Damage Exposure Will 'wake America Up'
The devastation set to be revealed by Hurricane Katrina's receding floodwaters will shock America, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin predicted today as military engineers plugged one of the biggest gaps in the city's levee system. "It's going to be awful and it's going to wake the nation up...
Bush Fails to Stem Anger
President George Bush returned to Louisiana yesterday to shore up both the relief effort and his embattled presidency as the death toll a week after Hurricane Katrina was predicted to rise as high as 10,000.
The Financial Lessons of Hurricane Katrina
Tens of thousands of people will have to survive over the next months with no savings, no homes, and no jobs. Financial literacy and preparation is important in times of hardship and applies to everyone no matter the cause of the disaster to prevent foreclosure and bankruptcy.
Superpower Failed Miserably
Lesson can be learnt from the New Orleans but is anybody listening?
Flood Took Disaster Agency's Experts By Surprise
Since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast last Monday, Americans have had a new way to spell failure: Fema. It stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Bush Sends Marines As Flood Fury Grows
President George Bush ordered 7,000 elite airborne troops and marines into New Orleans and the devastated Gulf Coast yesterday to try to bolster the stumbling flood relief effort and salvage the reputation of his presidency.
COLOR OR CLASS? Charges of Racism in Disaster Relief
It is now universally acknowledged that government response to the New Orleans tsunami was tragically inept. Those bearing witness to the ongoing horror could not but observe that the vast majority of the abandoned were black. Inevitably, the question had to be asked: Did race play a role in the government's failure?
Anti-US Alliance: Euro-Ecologists and Islamic Extremists on Hurricane Katrina
In front of Katrina, we are all Americans! Denouncing the paradoxical criticism expressed by the German Environmental Minister, Juergen Trittin, we demand the punishment of Muhammad Youssef Al Malaif, Director of the ‘Research Center’ of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Religious Affairs, who fomented Hatred, by presenting Katrina as 'God's soldier and good terrorist'.
Katrina Katrina - The Fix is Out
How do we fix it? Hurricane Katrina Disaster Reviewed in light of Disaster survival options and Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts including Donations
Petrol to Hit £1 a Litre After Us Buys Up Supplies
Motorists were warned last night that petrol prices seem certain to pass £1 a litre within days after Hurricane Katrina wiped out many of the oil refineries on the US Gulf coast.
Clinton and Bush Snr to Lead Aid Appeal
Former presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush Snr are to lead the fund-raising campaign for Hurricane Katrina's huge humanitarian effort, reprising a role they played with some success after the Asian tsunami.
Katrina Comes Home to Roost
President Bush is to blame for the scale of the disaster as a result of his administration's policies and actions. Sidney Blumenthal
ZERO TOLERANCE: Bush Gets Tough as New Orleans Suffers
Three days into the horror of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we see nothing that compares to the response amassed for the Indian Ocean tsunami and the White House is still making plans, calculating priorities and preparing to establish order in hell.
Bush Pledges Historic Relief Effort
· Shots fired at military helicopters · Survivors moved to Texas · President warns against looting
Bush Tries to Cap Surge in Global Energy Prices
President George Bush yesterday ordered the release of crude oil from US strategic reserves as the White House sought to prevent the spike in global energy prices caused by Hurricane Katrina damaging the world's biggest economy.
Thousands Feared Lost in Us Storm
· New Orleans to be abandoned · Threat of looting and disease
US Rescuers in Race Against Time
Rescue workers were racing against time today to reach survivors of Hurricane Katrina, which is feared to have killed hundreds of people along the Gulf of Mexico.
New Orleans Rescuers in Race Against Time
Rescue workers in New Orleans were racing against time today to reach survivors of Hurricane Katrina, which is feared to have killed hundreds of people along the Gulf of Mexico.
HURRICANE KATRINA: Prayers For New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina may not be as catastrophic as anticipated but it is far, far worse than at first reported. The levees of Lake Pontchartrain are giving way. Martial Law has been declared. Total evacuation is being considered. New Orleans is under siege.
Katrina Death Toll 'rises to 80'
Up to 80 people could have been killed by Hurricane Katrina in one Mississippi county alone, local authorities said today.
Oil Prices Near Record High in Wake of Katrina
Oil prices today remained at $68 (£38) a barrel as traders waited for an assessment of the damage to production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Katrina battered the region.
Katrina Death Toll Reaches 55
At least 55 people are reported to have been killed as Hurricane Katrina lashed the US coast on the Gulf of Mexico in what could prove to be the most expensive storm in US history. Mississippi was the state worst hit, with 22ft (6.6 metres) of flood water and 50 people confirmed dead in...
Oil Prices Close to Record As Katrina Shuts Down Production
Oil and gas prices stayed close to record highs yesterday as energy firms waited anxiously to begin assessing the damage wreaked by hurricane Katrina on the most important oil-producing region in the United States.
New Orleans Deluged As Katrina Batters Coast
Some residents who chose to stay reported stranded or dead.