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Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana’s coast on August 29, 2005, claiming the lives of 1,464 Louisiana residents. Hurricane Rita followed three weeks later on September 24, 2005. The storms displaced more than 650,000 Louisianans, destroyed more than 200,000 homes, 40 schools, 10 hospitals and 200 square miles of Louisiana marshland. The storms damaged 835 schools, flooded more than 16,000 businesses and cost Louisiana more than 179,000 jobs. Louisiana’s estimated property losses totaled more than $100 billion. The storms rank as numbers 1 and 3 respectively in a list of the most costly natural disasters in the United States.
Since the storms, the determination and resilience of the Louisiana people has been evident in the state's recovery.
In 2008:
the city of New Orleans broke ground on the first new public school in the city since before Hurricane Katrina.
New Orleans gained approval for $125 million in Long Term Community Recovery Projects for the city.
New Orleans is bucking a national downturn in construction. The city's construction industry started 2008 strong even as building slowed across the country.
visitors to New Orleans are expected to increase. This year, the city saw pre-Katrina levels of visitors during Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. In 2007, twice as many visitors came to New Orleans compared to 2006.
repairs are underway on four boat harbors serving commericial and recreational fishermen in Plaquemines Parish. The harbors had been all but destroyed after the storms.
the state and FEMA launched the largest ever home elevation programs. FEMA pledged $96.5 million to work in tandem with Community Development Block Grant funds. The end result, thousands of homes elevated to and above the Advisory Base Flood Elevation. |
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